Pink
by Fluttering Hope
Summary: A Tickled Pink focused story that through circumstances and flashbacks will explore Tickled Pink's relationship to the others in Rainbow Land.
1. Mornings

Pink

Chapter One: Mornings

It sickened him. The very sight of Rainbow Land in the distance, glowing with colour just on the edge of the pits. It hadn't always been like this. Once, long ago, the Shadow King had ruled this entire world and those had been better times. There had been no revolting reds. Ghastly greens needed never to be thought of. Even belligerent blues were unheard of. But Rainbow Brite had come along and ruined it all.

Before her coming he had lived like a Prince. Now he lived like a cornered rat. And so far nothing he did seemed to be able to restore the land to its original murky glory.

Lurky was of no use either. Sure, he had his uses. The 'brawn' to his 'brains'. But truth be told it seemed Lurky ruined more of his schemes than he helped. Since the 'accident' that had transformed Lurky into his current gloomy, yet overly large sprite like form he had been nothing but a hindrance. But not this time. This time Lurky was out of the picture, sent to the other side of Rainbow Land on a 'mission' that had no real purpose but to get him out of Murky's hair.. what hair he had left anyway.

With him gone this plan would succeed. It had to. He had come so close before, but each time he was foiled by someone else's incompetence. Moonglow for example. He had been on the right track with that plan. Moonglow was the Colour Kid responsible for colouring the night. Therefore it stood to reason that exposure to bright light would drain her of her powers and weaken her. It had worked, for a time at least. Whilst he held Moonglow the night's sky had lost all trace of the sickening beauty that the female colour kid periodically infected it with. But Rainbow Brite had foiled his plan and before he could drain all of Moonglow's powers his captive had been rescued.

So close. He had been so very close. But his limited success proved that the Colour Kids were indeed mortal and could be drained of their powers. That gave him knowledge and, as the old saying went, knowledge was power.

Murky walked to his massive wall encompassing bookshelf and removed one of the many Rainbow Land scientific encyclopaedias he possessed. Flipping through the pages, eyes darting over random passages, he soon found the section he was after. Sitting himself down on the floor at that very spot, too engrossed to bother heading to a chair and simply crossing his legs under him, Murky began to read a scientific article that discussed the colours that each Colour Kid wielded and their overall effect on the world.

The journal began by discussing the 'Primary Colours' of the additive spectrum and the kids that wielded them. Red Butler oversaw items dealing with the colour red, Buddy Blue oversaw items dealing with the colour blue and Patty O'Green oversaw items dealing with the colour green. Beneath the text was a coloured diagram of the Additive Colour Kids and a table detailing measurements of what frequency of the light spectrum they derived their powers from.

It was only with strong self-control that Murky could force his eyes to not look away from the page. Though seeing the bright printed colours revolted him he must know his enemy. And no pain, no gain.

Beneath the section devoted to the Primary Colour Kids was a table discussing the other Kids of the light spectrum, the colours of Yellow, Orange, Purple and Indigo being managed by Canary Yellow, Lala Orange, Shy Violent and Indigo retrospectively. And detailed notes on the light frequency their colour powers operated on were also given.

And then.. that was it.

Murky slammed the book shut and tossed it aside, not able to control his disgust at looking at the bright, glaring colours any longer. Though it had been painful, the reading had left him with something to think about. Seven Colour Kids had been listed.

As loath as he was to admit it, Murky knew each of the colours of the rainbow by name. And he knew that there was a Kid to manage each of those colours. But Murky also knew that in Rainbow Land there were in fact Eight Colour Kids, if you ignored Moonglow who fell into the same Kid archetype as that Stormy brat.

Seven colours, Eight Kids. There was a Kid who didn't belong.

And, Murky considered, perhaps it meant this Kid was weaker from the rest. Perhaps he had just found his next target. He had failed with Moonglow. But this time things would be different.

* * *

Tickled Pink closed her eyes and hugged the back of Sunriser's neck as the horse galloped through the night-covered mountainside. She thought, not for the first time, exactly how lucky she was. All up only three horses lived in the entirety of Rainbow Land and she was lucky enough to be the owner of one of them.

Well owner wasn't the right word. In fact, Pink thought to herself, thinking of Sunriser as merely an object or a creature to be possessed was very distasteful. Their relationship was more a partnership. They were friends and Sunriser let Pink ride her because of that. But she still thought of herself as Sunriser's owner only because it was the best word to convey her feelings towards the beautiful wild pink horse. Tickled Pink took care of her, groomed her, fretted for her whenever Sunriser was gone into the mountains of Rainbow Land for too long. And Pink was the only person, apart from Rainbow Brite, that Sunriser ever let ride her.

If this didn't make Pink feel special enough, Pink was also the only Colour Kid with a horse. The other two horses in Rainbow land being ridden by Rainbow Brite and Stormy.

She hugged Sunriser's neck a little tighter at the thought and just smiled. Feeling so very special.

"Colour Crystal for your thoughts?" Sunriser said, slowing down from a gallop to a trot as she approached the peak of one of Rainbow Land's highest mountains. "I'm not going too fast for you am I? You are holding on to me so tightly."

A pink blush coloured Tickled Pink's cheeks and she loosened her grip around Sunriser's neck, saying with a giggle, "You weren't going too fast. I was just hugging you. Have I ever told you how special you make me feel?"

Sunriser laughed as she came to a stop at the very edge of the mountain top peak, saying happily as Pink climbed down from her back, "Only every time you ride me, Tickled Pink. But the fact that you always remind me is one of the reasons I'm so happy to let you ride me." She lowered her head to nuzzle her nose against Pink's shoulder, not having the correct limbs to give her a hug but the affection of the gesture was evident, "But if we stand here talking for much longer we'll miss the day before it even begins. It is almost time."

Tickled Pink giggled again, something she was notorious for, at the thought and opened the star shaped pouch on her all pink belt of her all pink dress. As soon as the flap of her pouch was undone the dark early morning landscape around her brightened from the light her exposed pink star sprinkles within. Pink carefully scooped a handful of the sprinkles out of her pouch and turned her attention to the night-time sky visible off the edge of the mountain.

Moonglow really had done an excellent job, as usual, Pink thought. It was such a shame to destroy her beautiful night sky. But, as Rainbow always said, 'Things have to happen when it's time'. And it was time for morning.

"Ready Sunriser?" Pink happily called, bringing her cupped hands of star sprinkles to her mouth, "For here we go!" and taking a deep breath Tickled Pink blew into her cupped hands. Her breath caught the pink sprinkles within and sent them flying into the dark night-time sky. Speeding away from the two pink mountaintop watchers, across the black star lit atmosphere they raced like hundreds of tiny pink comets until they disappeared into the distance.

Both Pink and Sunriser watched the horizon silently; expectantly. And gradually the dark horizon began to lighten. Slowly traces of pink began to line the distant dark horizon sitting clouds. Then more pink began to appear, this time across the horizon itself. Minutes silently passed and the sky before the two slowly transformed from a dark nightscape into a dazzlingly beautiful pink sunrise.

It wasn't until the sun actually peeked up over the horizon that the silence between the two was broken, with Sunriser saying softly as she looked away from the sky now that it was too bright with the sun present, "There's another reason I'm happy to let you ride me, Tickled. And that's because I'm your biggest fan."

Long before Sunriser had ever met the Colour Kid responsible for sunrises she had always felt an inexplicable connection to them. Each day she had watched them from her solitude up in the mountains, being named 'Sunriser' by the sprites that lived at the base of the Rainbow Mountains because it was only during sunrises and sunsets that anyone ever caught a glimpse of the legendary pink horse.

Back then Sunriser had fallen in love with the beauty of each sunrise. And now Tickled Pink let her witness their creation. It made Sunriser feel so very special.

Tickled Pink's ever happy face split into an even wider smile, if that was possible, at the compliment and said, turning her eye critically back towards the clouds to look at what was left of her creation. "I just hope the people of Earth like that sunrise." But if she was unhappy with it, it was too late now. Already it was beginning to slowly flow across the earth, becoming the sunrise for each person's new day. It would start off at the extreme end of Asia, race across the continent and hit Australia along the way. Hours later it would hit Europe and Africa and then finally at the end of the Rainbow Land day it would hit South and North America and return to Rainbow Land, becoming Rainbow Land's sunset.

"I'm sure they will." reassured Sunriser. "They'd have to be blind to miss it. It really was beautiful. And when they look at it they'll feel every bit as happy as if they had seen one of Rainbow Brite's rainbows. I'm sure." The pink horse lowered herself down to a kneeling position to allow Tickled Pink to mount her more easily and said, encouragingly, "You'll see that when it returns tonight. In the meantime we've got a whole new day ahead of us. Want to see if we can catch Moonglow on her way home? I bet I can run fast enough to reach Colour Castle before she gets there."

Pink giggled and climbed up onto Sunriser's back, saying mischievously, "And if she is already in bed by the time we get there I'm sure Starlite will be up."

To this Sunriser gave an exaggerated scoff, shaking her head and long pink mane, saying a little defensively as she moved into a trot down the steeper section of the mountain, "So? Why would I want to see him."

Tickled just laughed again and gave Sunriser a friendly pat on the neck to show she was just teasing. It was a good thing that Sunriser was a horse and covered in hair. For Tickled Pink couldn't see exactly how much the mention of Starlite had made Sunriser blush.

* * *

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on Earth the alarm clock of a young sleeping brown haired boy began to chime. Roused from his dreams of scents and sounds Anthony felt along the edge of his bedside table and eventually found the chiming clock, pushing the button upon its top to silence it. With a sigh he yawned and stretched, listening carefully. Soon he would hear his mother's footsteps, indicating she was making her way to his door. And then there would be the same knocking there was each morning of his mother coming to help him get ready for school.

Anothny gritted his teeth in annoyance at the thought. He hated it. She treated him like he was a child. He was 13 years old! Why couldn't she see that he could do things himself?

A deep frown having now been set across his facial features, Anthony slid himself out of bed, determined that he would prove it to her. He would get ready this morning by himself and when his mum came to wake him up he would be dressed and prepared for school, finally proving to her that he could be independent.

As the young boy carefully stepped through his room, in case he'd accidentally left anything on his floor to stumble over, and passed his bedroom window the glorious sunrise that was evitable outside might have raised his mood, had he been able to see it.

But truth be told colours didn't really mean much to Anthony at all. For he had been blind since birth. In fact Anthony had never seen a colour in his entire life.


	2. Tears

Chapter Two: Tears.

From the highest tower of Color Castle the young blonde girl who was once named Wisp stood on a balcony, watching the new day unfold around her with a smilfe. There really was no place in the universe like Rainbow Land.

By an Earth observer's views Rainbow Land society was one of repression and hardship. The only children who lived there were not schooled. Instead they worked in the fields, mountains and forests from sun up from sun down. They had no parents to take care of them, they instead looked after themselves.

From an Earth observer's viewpoint things were even worse for the Sprites, the small fury native inhabitants of Rainbow Land. At least the Kids got to work outside. The majority of the Sprites spent their days toiling away within the caves of Rainbow Land, mining the precious 'colour crystals' that the Color Kids desired. Those Sprites that didn't work within the caves instead worked within the Sprite Village that surrounded Color Castle, cooking for the rest of the community or performing other such housekeeping chores. And all this work was done by Sprite and Kid alike for no money or compensation.

People of Earth would look at Rainbow Land and think that their world was completely wrong. But in truth it was the people of Earth that were wrong, for they couldn't see the real beauty that was Rainbow Land.

In Rainbow Land no one needed for anything. There were no poor, mainly due to the fact that fortunately no one had ever had the bad idea of inventing money to begin with. With no need for money the people of this country spent their days pursuing activities that bettered both them and the world around them. The Sprites worked within the Color Caves because they wanted to, which was unlike much of the work that the people of Earth found themselves engaged in when they got older.

The Sprites that didn't like the subterranean environments of the Color Caves simply did a daily activity that appealed to them. From cooking, to gardening, to child minding. No one really minded what someone did, so long as they were happy.

The children that lived within the land were even luckier than the Sprites. For the Kids of Rainbow Land didn't just live in the land. They created it. Every blade of grass, every raindrop was coloured by their imagination and by the star sprinkles they carried. The Color Kids were connected to Rainbow Land and it was connected to them. Every new day was a wonder to behold, for it had been created and coloured by the hearts and joy of the inhabitants of Rainbow Land.

The girl who was once known as Wisp contently smiled again, walking back into her bedroom and towards the rainbow coloured stairs that would take her down to the grand hall of Color Castle. Rainbow Land possessed so much that Earth didn't have. Which is why herself and the Color Kids strived so hard to colour Earth's lands in the same beauty that the people of Rainbow Land were so accustomed to. To try and bring a little of the joy and peace that Rainbow Land possessed to Earth.

Rainbow Land possessed so much, but there was one thing that the Earth had that Rainbow Land didn't, the blonde girl considered, and that was human parents. The Color Kids had never been babies. They simply began their lives at the same age they were now and would probably stay that age for the rest of their lives.

A chorus of joyous 'Good mornings' greeted the blonde headed seven year old girl as she entered the main hall, to which her eyes twinkled happily and began to greet each of Kids present in the hall with a hug or a kind word. Rainbow Land may not have parents, but the Color Kids did have a mother.

And that was her, Wisp.

She was the one they ran to when scared. The one they approached when worried or confused and needed advice. She was their protector, their mother, and their best friend all in one. Whenever they had a problem, and even if they didn't, she would be there to care for them. No matter what.

She, Wisp, was Rainbow Brite and Rainbow Land and all the people of it were in her care.

* * *

A soft whispering voice touched Rainbow's ears as she was made her way through the Main Hall. It was a light, tranquil voice. Barely raised yet able to cut straight through the noise and the chattering that echoed through the hall. It was a voice Rainbow had always associated with the sound of nighttime slumber party whisperings. Of being ready for bed, yet enjoying the night too much to sleep.

"Rainbow.." The voice of Moonglow said as the silvery-blonde haired Color Kid walked through the Main Doors of the castle, the tiredness in her eyes seeming to indicate she hadn't rested yet since returning from her nocturnal work. "I was just at the Color Caves, getting some more yellow star sprinkles for tomorrow night. There is a problem. A whole supply of star sprinkles are missing."

Rainbow raised a quizzical brow. Missing star sprinkles? At first when Moonglow had said there was a problem at the caves she was expecting to hear about some sighting of Murky or some trick he was playing. It always seemed to be the way. The words 'There is a problem' and 'Murky Dismal' seemed to go hand in hand. When you found one, the other wasn't far behind. But missing star sprinkles didn't sound like something Murky would be involved in.

To be honest missing Color Crystals weren't a great concern. More could always be mined. But still, it was unfortunate that all the hard work of the Sprites within the caves could be lost due to some crystal misplacement. Moonglow was right to bring it to her attention.

"And the Sprites don't know anything about them?" Rainbow guessed. She knew Moonglow would have already investigated that before coming to her. So logically (Shy Violet would have been proud of her) the next people to check with were the Color Kids. Maybe one of them needed some sprinkles in a hurry, saw something in the world that urgently needed fixing.

Her blue eyes passed along the Color Kids assembled before her, each waiting expectantly. Buddy Blue, Pattie O'Green, Canary Yellow, Lala Orange, Shy Violent and Indigo all shrugged, shaking their heads as her eyes met theirs. None of them knew anything about the missing star sprinkles.

Out of all the Kids only Red Butler and Tickled Pink weren't present.

Days later Rainbow Brite would look back, upon reflection of when everything had gone horribly wrong, and pin point everything to this one moment.

She would wish she knew then what she knew now. That the decision she had made hadn't been one that would end up costing her one of her dearest friends. That's the funny thing about decisions. You don't realise until it is too late that each one you make ends up shaping the future. That a single decision, placed at exactly the right point in time, can alter the entire world around you.

"Well until we can check with Red and Pink I wouldn't worry about it." Rainbow concluded. "If those two aren't here it means they are probably out working in the fields. Which they probably would have needed star sprinkles for."

Moonglow nodded. She had seen Tickled Pink before she got to Color Castle, galloping towards her on Sunriser. It was a usual sight each morning. After she had finished her night's work Pink would usually run into her in the Sprite Village after sunrise. Though Moonglow would often be tired from her work the Pink Color Kid would often drag her to some little Sprite stall to have breakfast. Or dinner, depending on whose viewpoint you looked at. Though Moonglow often said she didn't have time, too much to do and prepare before the next night, Pink would always get her there in the end.

Moonglow smiled to herself. It was.. nice. She didn't get to socialise with the rest of the Color Kids too much, due to their differing schedules. But Pink would always be there for her each morning. As consistent as night turning to day.

Except this morning. When Moonglow had seen her she had explained that she really did need to see Rainbow about something important and Pink had finally relented on the offer of breakfast, saying something about going to see to some flowers instead. But would certainly not let her miss breakfast tomorrow.

With her Color Crystal concerns passed on Moonglow bid a good morning, which was for her a good night, to Rainbow Brite and the rest of the Color Kids and headed to her room and bed within the Castle, sure that Rainbow would be able to handle the problem now.

She thought to herself as she entered her room and climbed into bed that Rainbow was probably right. The more she thought about it, the more it sounded like Pink may have been the one who had taken the sprinkles. After all, a small pile of each colour had been taken. Except for the pink sprinkles, which had been left untouched.

Kind of made sense Moonglow considered, her eyes closing. Pink probably had enough pink star sprinkles already.

Oh well, she could ask Pink about it tomorrow morning. Or night. Depending on how you looked at it.

* * *

"How about these ones?" Sunriser asked, looking at a bunch of roses in front of her. Pink was by her side, having slid down to walk along side her since arriving at the secluded garden.

"No.. they're kind of a pale red." Tickle Pink concluded after a few minutes of examination.

Sunriser gave a nod of her long head and moved a few feet over to another bush. "Well these then? They seem nice."

Once again Pink came over to examine the roses, but once again they met with her dissatisfaction. "Nuh uh." She concluded. "They have an orange tint. Not what we are looking for."

They had been at this for at least half an hour. Each bush they went to met with an unfavourable response from Pink after an examination. Sunriser was actually beginning to have her doubts about Pink. Starting to feel as though this was one of her impulsive jokes.

"Orange tint?" The pink haired horse quizzed, not so ready to move away now. "They look pretty pink to me."

Tickled Pink gave Sunriser an over exaggerated gasp and then said, trying desperately to hold down the giggles that were fighting their way up from within her throat, "You are doubting the word of the Pink Color Kid?"

Sunriser noticed the corners of Pink's mouth twitching as she said this. If it was one thing Tickled Pink was bad at, that was keeping a straight face. Sunriser now knew one of her four legs were being pulled.

"Well then, Ms. Pink Color Kid. If the roses aren't the right shade of pink, why don't you colour them?"

"That's cheating! No, we've got to find naturally growing pink roses. It will mean that much more when you give them to Starlite."

Sunriser was rather dubious about this plan that Pink had talked her into, after her breakfast date with Moonglow had been cancelled. Sunriser was sure that the shoe should be on the other hoof. That it should be Starlite that was giving her flowers. But Pink had been quite insistent.

"Ah ha!" Tickled Pink finally exclaimed, having wandered over to another rose bush. One whose flowers seemed the exact shade of pink as every other bush in this grove. "These are them! Perfect Pink."

"Those? You mean the very first roses we looked at?" Sunriser replied, giving Pink a careful look. "The ones you rejected by saying they were a rare light purple-red rose?"

"Yes. I guess they must have ripened while we were looking at the other bushes. For now they are pink." Now she really was giggling.

Sunriser was laughing too. The joke was bad. And it had taken a whole half hour to work up to the 'punch line'. But when Tickled Pink laughed you couldn't help but join in. It was infectious.

But the laughter caught in Sunriser's throat as she noticed something on the edge of her vision. Something big and black hurtling through the air towards Tickled Pink. The graceful pink horse reacted instantly, launching herself towards Pink while emitting a roar from her mouth, a feat that only a true wild horse can sound. As soon as she was within range Sunriser whipped her long head at the startled Color Kid and sent her tumbling with a none too gentle flick. A mere second later a large iron cage crashed into the ground, surrounding the area Tickled Pink once inhabited.

Pink got unsteadily to her feet somewhat dazed and confused. One minute she was looking at the roses the next Sunriser was knocking her back. A shocked gasp escaped Pink's lips as her eyes fell upon the iron cage that now surrounded the rose bush she was only just examining. But it wasn't the appearance of the cage that frightened her, rather it was cause Sunriser was laying within in, unmoving.

"Sunriser!" she shouted, running towards the think bars that were blocking her from her friend, "Sunriser, are you okay?" she pleaded, desperately tugging on the unyielding metal.

But before an answer could be given the cracking of some dry underbrush alerted Tickled Pink to the fact there was someone else present within this secluded grove of pink rose bushes. Any hope she had that there might be someone else there to help her free her friend quickly faded as she spun around, her blue eyes meeting a pair of cold, black glaring ones in return.

"Murky!" Pink exclaimed, her heart beginning to race as she found herself backing away from both the cage and from him. The truth was the diminutive, angry grey man scared her. He scared all the Color Kids. Rainbow Brite seemed to be the only one in all of Rainbow Land that wasn't afraid of him. Oh how Pink wished Rainbow was here right now.

He sneered at her, advancing, "That cage was meant for you, brat." he spat, giving the fallen form of Sunriser only a brief, contemptuous look. "No matter. Once I'm done with you it looks like Lurky will have a new pet.."

Tickled Pink had only taken a few steps back but at those words she stopped dead in her tracks, looking over towards where Sunriser was imprisoned and starting to stir. She was scared, she didn't know what Murky wanted but whatever it was it seemed to involve Sunriser. Her best friend.

Tickled Pink hesitated, her little legs trembling. Then after a moment she opened her mouth.

"No.." the pink clad seven year old girl finally said, standing firm and retreating no further, "I won't let you have Sunriser." As Pink said this she tried to display the same fierce look on her face that Rainbow always wore when confronting Murky.

Rainbow Land was a land without parents. So Murky never realised what 'that' look was and why it always caused him such fear. But if he had of lived on Earth he would have known that the look Rainbow always gave him, and Pink was trying to approximate now, was one of the most dangerous in all of nature. It was the look of a mother ready to protect her children.

The diminutive man faltered for a moment, almost backing down. But the moment of hesitation was only brief. Tickled Pink was no Rainbow Brite. And to Pink's horror Murky began to raise his gloom gun towards her.

She had seen Murky's gloom gun in action before. One pull of the trigger and out it would expel a vicious cloud of noxious chemicals, so dark and gloomy that anyone who breathed in the cloud would lose any hope or free will they had. Yes, Pink had seen it in action before. So she was ready. As Murky raised the gun towards her Pink's hand flew to her star shaped belt pouch, gathering a handful of star sprinkles into her hand.

She may not be Rainbow Brite and she may not have a Color Belt, but she was a Color Kid and at least had some powers.

She had mere moments to react as Murky pulled the trigger. So it wasn't until seconds later, until her pink star sprinkles had left her hand and were already flying towards Murky and his gun that Pink realized that something was wrong. Instead of noxious plumes of smoke Murky's gloom gun was discharging a beam of colors from its nozzle towards her.

He was attacking her with.. a rainbow?

But before Pink could fully take in these strange turn of events her airborne star sprinkles intercepted the wave of colors streaming towards her. The resulting meeting produced a blinding flash of intense, pure white energy.

She cried out, turning away and bringing her hands up to shield her stinging eyes from the flash. When she dared open them again to Pink's horror she discovered the world before had transformed into a distorted, shifting blob of dark images.

"Help! I can't see!" the seven year old girl cried out as she groped about blindly, hoping someone, anyone, other than Murky was nearby. The only comfort about her present state was from the cries and stumbling she could hear coming from Murky's direction he hadn't expected the flash of light either.

"Pink.." came a soft whispered reply, the voice causing her heart to leap.

"Sunriser!"

"Shh.." came the whispered voice again, calm and reassuring. "Murky has been blinded by the flash too.. but I fear it is only temporary. You must be away from here, Pink. I will guide you to what direction you must turn.. and when I say the word you must run. As fast as you can go."

"No." Tickled Pink gasped, shocked, blindly waving out with her hands and finally locating the bars of the cage on which she began to pull again "I cannot leave you Sunriser. I will not."

There was a sad sigh in reply and Sunriser was silent for a moment. When her voice finally came back it trembled slightly, "When I fell I landed on my leg. I think.. it is broken.. Even if you could open this cage there isn't anything you could do."

There is no place in the Universe like Rainbow Land. No place whose lands are filled with such joy and happiness. And of all the Color Kids there was no one more cheerful and jovial than Tickled Pink. But as she heard the words that of her magnificent, wild pink horse spoke Tickled Pink did an act she had never done before.

She started to cry.

Tiny salted drops of water flickered down from Pink's eyes, running down the light pink tullip shaped birthmark of her right cheek before falling to the ground. She pulled at the cold, iron bars again, desperation filling her. What Sunriser was saying couldn't be true.

Sunriser's voice came to her once again in the blackness, her voice now becoming somewhat firmer than Pink had ever heard it before, "If our friendship means anything to you, you will do as I ask. Leave me. It is you that Murky wants, not me. Run back to Color Castle and tell Rainbow Brite what has happened. I'm sure she and the rest of the Kids will come back with you to free me."

She shook her head defiantly; ready to yell at Sunriser amongst her tears that she could never leave her. But deep down inside Pink knew Sunriser was right. Her vision was already beginning to clear and if Murky captured them both, here and now, she didn't know how long it would be before anyone realized. She had to get help. She had to get Rainbow.

The pink haired child managed three labored steps backwards, all but forcing herself to abandon her friend when a metallic click sounded to her left. Spinning about Pink caught sight of Murky aiming his modified gloom gun at her, a torrent of rainbow energy waves already rocketing towards her once again. With no time to make a grab for some more star sprinkles Pink simply dived to the ground, the torrent of colors racing above her. It was a close miss.

Murky cursed again, jumping up and down in uncontrolled rage as the Kid managed to avoid an attack yet again. The cage was meant to have stopped something like this from happening, he reflected bitterly. As his dark, malicious eyes focused on the pink horse within the cage, an idea began to form. One that only a twisted heart like his could ever think up.

"You've seen what this thing can do to pink star sprinkles.." He grinned, slowly drawing the gun away from Tickled Pink. "Wonder what it could do to a pink horse.." The casualness in which he said this and leveled the gun towards Sunriser was chilling.

Tickled Pink watched horrified as Murky's fat, gray finger began to slowly pull on the trigger. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as everything else around her faded away. All there was within her vision, within her universe, was the finger and the trigger. It was all that mattered. And then, when Murky finally squeezed enough to activate the gloom gun it was with a little surprise that Pink found herself jumping towards him. Jumping into the path between the beam of energy and Sunriser.

She heard Sunriser scream at her that it was a trick, but by that stage it was already too late. For the beam of energy had hit Tickled Pink.

* * *

Behind a pair of thick, purple horn-rimmed glasses Shy Violet's brown eyes frowned as she watched her Color Console monitor. With slender fingers she tapped away at her keypad, attempting to clarify the readings she was getting within the color spectrum. The readings were odd at best. At first she thought they were a glitch. But after running a few analysis programs and cross checking the data Shy Violet realised was she was detecting was real. She was picking up what looked like, for want of a better word, a 'shockwave' within the color spectrum. It originated from a point in Rainbow Land and seemed to be now rippling through the spectrum.

Shy Violet's fingers froze over her keypad as her gifted mind ran a few calculations. The Color Console was directly connected into the color spectrum and the shockwave was fast approaching their point in Rainbow Land.

"Away from the console!" she bellowed, throwing back her chair and suddenly running to seek refuge behind a table over in the corner of the Main Hall. The fact that timid, mild, quiet Shy Violet was shouting at the top of her voice was enough to ensure the other Kids stationed at the Color Console weren't far behind her.

There they huddled, behind a sturdy wooden table, everything around them having fallen eerily silent.

Then the shockwave that was working its way through Rainbow Land, invisible to the naked eye, hit Color Castle and the Color Console exploded in a shower of sparks.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Color Mines, Dee Lite's pick slowly slipped from her grasp, falling into a pile of pink star sprinkles. She stood transfixed, not noticing as a handful of her pink Color Crystals were dislodged from the pile and rolled into a nearby pile of red Color Crystals. She didn't hear Romeo's annoyed protest at the contamination of his red pile and then, later, his concerned questioning once he saw the look on her face. Romeo and Dee Lite often worked side by side. Not by choice, mind you. Rather it just worked out that way because the pink color veins tended to be an off shoot of the red color veins. Netherless, over the years Romeo and Dee Lite had become quite close friends. So close, Romeo thought he knew Dee Lite better than any other sprite knew her. But over the years he had never seen the joyful, giggly pink sprite wear such an expression of horror and alarm. His pick too fell to the ground, scattering his own Color Crystals and he was instantly at her side.

"Dee Lite.." Romeo asked cautiously, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What is wrong? Tell me, please."

There are hundreds of sprites in Rainbow Land. But of them all the most prestigious are the 'Head Sprites', the sprites that lead the mining of each particular Color Kid's rainbow sprinkles. A Head Sprite's high regard doesn't come from this though. Rather, being a head sprite means being a Color Kid's closest friend. The personality of a head sprite compliments that of a Color Kid's personality. And, over time, a close sub conscious bond forms between the two. Some have theorised that this is how Color Kids are able to understand 'sprite talk', their bond with their Head Sprite enabling them to translate this other language instantly. The bond between a Color Kid and their sprite is a bond of the heart and as such, given their complimenting personalities, it isn't unknown for a sprite to sometimes feel an emotion that their kid was feeling. And that is what led Dee Lite to knowing that something terrible was happening somewhere in Rainbow Land. Happening to Tickled Pink.

"Please.. get Rainbow." Dee Lite begged, her voice cracking as a small sob escaped her at the end. "Hurry. I think Tickled Pink is dying."

* * *

The waves of energy washed over her form. Where they touched her skin and dress there was a fizzing sound and the flaring of bright white light. It was like being hit with a torrent of water and she felt cold where it touched. But Pink also felt weaker too, as if each time it hit a little piece of her was eaten away.

"Surprised? Wondering what's happening?" A malicious taunting voice asked. It was Murky and he sounded pleased. The girl tried to reply, but she found it very difficult to talk all of a sudden. She was getting so very light headed. But that didn't seem to stop Murky. He was always one to boast.

"Simple science my dear. Those wretched colors that you and your brat friends both spread and are connected to come from white light.. Amazing how something as nauseatingly vile as 'pretty colors' can come something as simple as light." He grinned all the more, so full of his own self-importance. "But, it is a two way street. Any given despicable color can be returned to white light by reuniting it with the rest of the vile spectrum. Did you know that?"

With a cackle Murky, now that he had Tickled Pink where she couldn't escape, turned a dial on the side of the gun and colored energy spewing from the gun increased in magnitude, the full force of Murky's weapon now washing over Tickled Pink. And like waves washing over a sandy coast Pink felt herself being eroded away, grain by grain, wave by wave.

"Though it loathes me to say it, it looks like for once these nauseating colors you and your kind spread have come in useful. See, I borrowed some color crystals when your friends weren't looking. It allowed me to make the ingenious adjustment to my gloom gun that you see here. Though I loathe color, I must admit I find a certain amusing irony in using the very powers of your friends against you. That it will be them that will result in your end."

"Monster!" The enraged shout pierced the eerily still atmosphere that had descended over the grove.

Tickled Pink slowly turned her head, using what strength she had left, to ascertain from who it had come from.

It was Sunriser and she was standing to her feet.

* * *

By the time Romeo had scrambled the distance from the Color Caves to Color Castle activity in the mines was at a stand still. Dee Lite's mournful cries echoed through the cavern and a feeling of unrest had settled across the sprites as they gathered around her, trying to do their best to comfort her.

There was urgency in his steps, but even he couldn't help but falter once he burst through the doors of Color Castle. The scene before him was unimaginable. The Color Console lay in ruins and most furniture pieces within the grand hall were somewhat scarred, having shards of what looked like Color Console fragments lodged in them

Rainbow Brite was standing by what was left of the Color Console, looking on with a concerned and anxious expression as Shy Violet pecked and probed through the ruined circuits with some type of hand held device.

"Ah, I believe that the residual electrical energy within the circuits has indeed proved to be accessible in a somewhat limited manner." Shy Violet prattled. Out of everyone present she seemed the least worried about the fact that the Color Console was in ruins. Most likely because she now had some task to occupy her thoughts with, Rainbow considered.

"The answers that we endeavour to discover are only mere moments away, though please bare in mind that I cannot guarantee the specificness of the coordinates once I've downloaded the data pathways. But a cursory evaluation of the surrounding regions to which the.."

When Shy Violet had something to say, what would take one person five words would take her ten. And now didn't seen to be any different. Rainbow really didn't have the mental energy to devote to trying to translate what Violet was saying, she was too concerned with whatever had caused that 'shockwave' Violet had described to her. The one that had destroyed the Color Console. She didn't care what words Violet used as she performed the task of retrieving the location the wave had originated, so long as she was able to. The cause of the Color Console's destruction was her biggest concern right about now.

At least it was until Romeo had sprinted up to her and quickly shattered away in Sprite talk, urgently detailing what had occurred with Dee Lite within the Color Caves.

"Does anyone know where Tickled Pink was headed today?" Rainbow Brite exclaimed, turning to meet the worried faces of the Color Kids. They too had heard Romeo's words.

"She said she was going to look at roses. I think she meant the grove on the edge of Pink Prairie."

It was Moonglow who spoke. She had luckily gathered with the rest of the Color Kids after the console had exploded, awakening her. She was worriedly biting her nails, her eyes wide and watching Rainbow. In fact all eyes were on her right now. Even the sprites who were helping to clear the grand hall had stopped.

Rainbow Brite gave Moonglow a quick nod and turned to Shy Violet, to tell her to keep working but for now she, Rainbow, had more important matters. But by the way the color had drained from Violet's face the blonde headed girl knew something else was amiss.

"What is it Violet?" Rainbow said, not having much time or words to spare. Fortunately it was one of those rare occasions where Shy Violet thought likewise.

"The shockwave. . I just found out . . that's where it originated from. The edge of Pink Prairie." and Violet offered Rainbow the scanner that was in her hand for proof. The one that had only just finished downloading what data fragments she could from the Color Console.

But Rainbow Brite was already moving away, running out the castle doors. Minutes later she was on the back of Starlite, galloping across the countryside of Rainbow Land. Hoping that the fastest horse in the galaxy would be fast enough.

* * *

Sparks flew as metal horseshoes impacted against hard iron bars. Sunriser had gone wild within the cage, kicking and rearing. Doing anything she could to break down the bars. To get out and get at Murky.

Pale blue eyes shifted to gaze at Sunriser fondly.

Dear sweet Sunriser, thought the girl of pink sunrises and laughter, your leg was never broken was it? You lied to me.. you wanted me to save myself and leave you, so you lied.

She smiled despite the situation she was in and turned her eyes down to the ground, to her pink booted feet that were slowly beginning to fade away.

Dear sweet Sunriser, she thought, you just wanted me safe. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you what you wanted.

The light around Tickled Pink began to intensify. Before only the areas of the child's skin and dress had glowed white where the color wave hit. Now the light had spread, encompassing her entirely.

"Sunriser." The Color Kid said, her voice sounding as if it was very far away, like it was the final reverberation of an echo, "I couldn't let you be shot. I just couldn't." At that moment Pink wanted her horse of a different color to know exactly how important and special she was to her. It was suddenly very important that Sunriser knew.

The pink haired horse lowered her legs and whispered, perhaps in answer to both Pink's statement and the Kid's internal desire to let Sunriser know how much she meant, "I know.."

And the light continued to grow and flow from the child.

It was a final burst of white light that heralded Tickled Pink's departure from this world. The rainbow waves of energy washed over her one last time, this time taking not just her powers but the very child who was connected to them. As the last wave came she looked at Sunriser and smiled, whispering some reassuring words that none bar the two of them ever heard. Then the light came and swept the Color Kid away and she was gone.


	3. Beginnings

Chapter 3: Beginnings

The bed was strange. It did its job, was comforting and a nice place to rest, but it also felt alien. The sheets were crisp and hard and new. The mattress was too firm and cold where her body had not yet warmed it. It was almost resistant to her touch. It was as though the bed was saying 'Yes, you may rest in me for a time. I'll hold you in my arms. But just remember.. I am not your real bed. I shall not get too attached to you, so I advise you do not get too attached to me either'.

Yes, that was it. This was not her real bed. So the question that needed to be asked was whose bed was it?

Blue eyes slowly opened, and glanced about first at the bed and at the room around her.

No, this was not her bed. Neither was this her room. This room was all white, crisp and clean. Sterile even. While her room was.. was..

And the child faltered. Strawberry coloured eyebrows creased down in thought. She could not remember what her room looked like. Nor her bed. The memory was there, sure. She could feel it in her head. But each time she reached out for it the memory darted away. Skipping off into the distance and giggling.

The girl tried for a few times to mentally catch the memory. Chasing after it with as much effort as she could. But it was always too fast for her, slipping out of her grasp at the last minute. She liked games. Hide and seek was even one of her favourites. And so she persisted searching for the wayward memory.

Something flickered about within her mind and the girl grabbed at this sneaky fluttering memory that did not want to be found, thinking it to be the one she was searching for.

And then she began to remember.

Remember black, cold glaring eyes.  
Remember an insidious laugh.  
Remember fear.

She let go of the memory and ran. This time it was her turn to hide. Hide from the memory of the cold, black eyes. And hid away she did.

A few minutes passed in uneventful silence before the girl peeked her head out from under the covers of the bed she had found herself hiding in.  
The memory seemed to be gone. The bed bound girl was too clever for it. No one could ever beat her at hide and seek.  
With the game won, the girl slipped herself slowly out of the bed she was in. The bed that she was sure was not hers, but was unsure why she was in it.

On the cold, indifferent metal table beside her bed were two bright canary yellow ribbons. The room was not hers, the bed was not hers. But the ribbons were. She just knew they were, just the same as she knew the room was not.

And so these ribbons were gathered up and she set about setting them to their proper place, which was on her head.

Moments later pink hair had been set into two long pigtails and the girl smiled, tossing her head left and right and feeling the pigtail ends flick happily against the top of her shoulders.  
That's how things should be.

Well almost, she concluded, glancing down at the thin white cloth dress she wore. The dress didn't seem familiar enough to be hers. But, after surveying the room, there didn't seem to be any alternative offered. So the girl concluded she'd just make do. Better an unfamiliar dress than no dress at all.  
Feeling sufficiently ready the girl of pink pigtails and yellow ribbons set towards the closed door of the small white room she was in and set about the task of locating exactly where her real bed was.

Though when she opened it the pink haired girl was somewhat surprised to find a busy white corridor on the other side of the door. Busy with people bustling here and there, in and out of rooms. Some looking determined, others looking sad, some looking just plain lost.

Perhaps this is a place for lost people, the seven year old young girl considered. She certainly fit the bill, having lost her room and bed and dress. Maybe, she thought as she began to walk into the corridor, people who have lost things come here and are able to find them. In which case, her real room might be somewhere around here.

But before the lost girl could see if this was true, she was stopped by a very tall and very old lady quickly walking towards her. In fact, the pink haired girl thought to herself as arms came down to block her way, she had never seen anyone this tall and this old before. The lady was an amazing 5 feet tall. And appeared to be about three times the age of seven. The pink haired girl's mind whirled at the thought of what it must be like being so tall. It certainly would make playing Hide and Seek somewhat difficult.

"Oh, you're awake." The very old and very tall lady said, kneeling herself down to bring herself down to the girl's level. The lady was dressed all in pristine white, almost blending in with the sterile white of the walls of the corridor "I'll have to tell Doctor Anderson. He will be quite happy to hear. And you've done your hair too.. you must be feeling better. I do like your ribbons."

The pink haired girl put her hands up to the canary yellow ribbons that kept her pigtails up, happily bobbing on either side of her head and said with a happy smile, "Thank you. They were a present from a friend of mine. She gave them to me a long time ago." But who this friend was seemed to elude her at this very moment..

The currently not so tall, but still very old woman nodded at this, smiling in return to the pink haired girl. The lady's hair was quite different to the girl's. While the hair of the girl with the yellow ribbons was left to bob about happily, freely, as it so desired the brown hair of the woman in white was tied back very severely, scrunched into a bun seemingly designed to ensure it would never be able to escape.

"I'm Nurse Elliott." The lady introduced herself with, still holding her arms out so that the pink haired girl could not get by, "What's your name sweetie?"

A name? Yes. She had one of those too, the pink haired girl considered. Just as she had a bed and a room and a dress that was not boring and white. But like many things at the moment, finding it eluded her at this instance.

"I don't know." The pink haired girl eventually replied, actually giggling at this. "It's hiding. But I am very good at hide and seek so I should find it soon enough."

* * *

Anthony guessed it would be cold out today. Already it was 6 am and still the glass of his bedroom window was cold to the touch.

The sun should have risen about 20 minutes ago yet he couldn't feel any difference in warmth. His bedroom window faced east so the glass of the window was usually the first thing to be affected by morning warmth. But today it was not there. Most likely due to cloud cover. So it was easy to guess it would be cold out this morning. The opening of the window and feeling the still cool night time air brush across his face confirmed his suspicion. It was fall. The days were getting cooler. Defiantly jumper weather today.

Sliding out of his bed, bare feet touching woollen carpet whose fibres squished and sprung underfoot, the teenager took the necessary three steps that took him to his wardrobe. Door opened, Anthony ran his fingers lightly along the edges of hung up clothing. Browsing by touch what he felt like wearing to school, based on both mood and the probable weather.

After a few back and fourths Anthony's left hand stopped on a material that felt to be made up of rows upon rows of soft vertical piles that stood up from the weave of the fabric. The piles felt like hundreds of thin cotton cords all running down the length of the clothing. He recognised the feel of it to be his favourite corduroy jacket.

One reason it was his favourite was the material was so interesting. It was always fun to grab a section of the material and rub it together. The texture of the material produced such a satisfying and amusing sound and sensation when it was rubbed against itself. The texture of it was just so fascinating. And when your world is a world of touch, feel and sound unique textures and designs made life that much more interesting.  
So this jacket was soon pulled from the closet and draped over his shoulder.

Kneeling and opening the second draw from the top, Anthony felt through the folded pants neatly stacked within. The pair of pants he wanted had a somewhat stiff, unyielding texture.  
The weave of it was a fine twill weave.. hardly noticeable to the touch, but the small curves and bumps of the weave still there if you were explicitly looking for it.

As his fingers ran along the fabric he knew by the touch it was denim. The firmness of the material coordinated nicely with the rugged feel of the already chosen corduroy jacket. And so these jeans were pulled from the draw and added to being slung over his shoulder also.

Socks, underwear and a t-shirt were also taken from their retrospective draws and, moving back to his bed and placing the clothes down in easy to reach positions, Anthony got dressed for school. Four minutes later the teenager cautiously walked towards his bedroom door.  
His steps were light and careful. Not because with his lack of sight meant he had difficulty navigating around either his room or his house. No. Anthony had grown up in this house. He knew every step, every obstacle, every intersection like the back of his hand. The only time he had trouble navigating was when someone left something in the middle of a walkway. Which, almost never happened, since his mother was so pedantic about ensuring her son never faced any difficulty due to what she saw as a disability.

His steps were measured so as to ensure he didn't make a sound. Like the morning three days ago when he had got dressed for the first time without parental guidance or interference.  
So what if his clothes didn't match? Why on earth shouldn't red and green be worn together? It made no difference to him. 'Green' did not exist in his world. Nor red. So why should he care? The clothes he had picked out this morning matched to him. Felt coordinated to him. Coordinated by texture. They were his choices and in the end that was the most important.

So stepping lightly, Anthony opened his bedroom door. Pausing only to pick up the cane, which he was told was white, that was resting upright against it. And headed out first the bedroom and then, listening carefully to ensure no one else was awake, out of his house.

The cool morning air was refreshing. In fact, it excited him. Here he was, out of the house, by himself. For the first time he could remember. And he was going to walk to school by himself. Whether his mom liked it or not. She had made a fuss about the clothes he had chosen and put on three days ago. Saying they first were not suitable. Then when he challenged her on that, that they were mismatched. But Anthony had told her the same thing he had thought earlier. That it didn't matter to him. Colours were an alien concept to him. They held no meaning, so therefore they should hold no sway.  
There had been a lot of resistance from his mom. First she had put her foot down, saying that he would be attired suitably if he wished to leave the house.  
Then Anthony had put his own down. Saying that if that was the case, he'd stay in his room.

An hour had passed, neither saying a thing to the other till finally, 10 minutes before school, his mom had said that since he was now late there was no time for him to change and he'd just have to go to school as is. That was three days ago and for the next mornings after that there had been a simular clashes.

Which is what brought him to where he was now. Out the door before she awoke. Walking alone through the surprisingly busy streets. It was all about proving himself. Proving he was capable of doing things himself. And since he had achieved a minor victory with the choosing of his own clothes, Anthony was now after a major victory. And that was proving he could walk to school by himself. He had done the walk many times before with his mom. And he knew the path by heart. So he had no fear about this expedition. In fact, he was thrilled. The only fear that Anthony had was the fight that was going to erupt between his mom and him when she found out what he had done.

He had given a lot of thought to the message he would leave for her to find. Should he explain exactly why he was doing this, to prove he can do it and retread the same old argument? Or should he just keep it simple. Let his actions speak for him.

In the end he and typed on his computer and printed out for her a note that said  
_'Walking to school today. Don't be mad. - Anthony'_

He doubted the line 'don't be mad' would somehow stop that inevitable outcome. But it was worth a shot. Just the same as this course of action was worth the attempt to prove to her he was no longer a child. He needed to be allowed some independence.  
And if today's walk didn't do it, he would just do it again the next day. And the day after that. And there was walking home from school that could be thrown in for extra emphasis also. The exclamation mark to his entire statement.

The end of Anthony's cane swept back and forth in front of him, as he walked down the sidewalk, sweeping the path before him for obstacles. He had been using a cane for years. So the stick was almost like an extension of himself. It extended his sense of touch and feel, so that anything that came before him could be quickly detected, felt and addressed. There was no awkwardness involved in it, no uncertainty. He had been blind since birth. So not being able to see where he was walking did not even cross Anthony's mind. Navigating through touch, sound, and smell was to him just the way things were done.

So he walked. Noting the sound of cars along the street to his right. Noting the sound of bird song overhead as he passed by trees whose branches rustled in the wind. Noting how fresh and vibrant the air smelt today. The day of his first lone walk.

It was a twenty-minute walk to his school. And it wasn't till about the half way mark that Anthony first encountered one obstacle that he hadn't counted on. His route was carefully planned. Each street that he arrived at that he needed to cross was either quiet enough so that he could hear if there was traffic coming or not, had a set of traffic lights that made audible beeps when it was safe to cross, or was manned by a school crossing guard.

But now he had reached a main road that, for a reason he couldn't determine, the traffic lights were silent. Usually traffic lights that had been set up to assist those who were visually impaired would emit from their pedestrian crossing button a soft electronic beep, sounding every three seconds when it was not safe to cross. When the traffic lights would halt the traffic and allow pedestrians to cross, the electronic beeps would change to a rapid three beeps a second and would stay that way for the duration that it was safe to cross.

But this set of lights were silent and Anthony knew they shouldn't be this way. Each time in the past he had walked through them with his mom they had sounded the reassuring beeps. The indication that all was well, crossing safety was assured. And Anthony knew he was indeed at the lights, despite their silence. His mental map that he walked and the sound of high speed traffic before him told him as such. With a sweep of his cane in front of him Anthony felt it impact against something hard, heard the sound of hard plastic clanging against metal. Stepping forward, the teenager put his hand out and felt the cold, hard metal of the stop light and, lowering his hand slightly, found the round rubber pedestrian crossing button with his fingers.

He pushed the button and waited. Even though there was no sound emitting from the stop lights if it halted traffic, Anthony was sure he would be able to hear when the traffic stopped. He would be careful though. Give it a test. As this was all uncharted, dangerous territory. He would press the button and if he heard what sounded like the traffic stopping he would count in his head how long it remained stopped for. All whilst standing safely on the curb. After which, when the traffic sounds started whizzing by in front of him again, he would then know how he would have to make it to the other side when he tried the button a second time.

In fact, he might just stand stationary on the curb for the second trial also Anthony considered. And count again, just to make especially sure his estimations were correct. After which he would know it would be truly safe to cross the third time he pushed the button and the third time the traffic slowed and stopped.

And so Anthony waited. And waited. Listening to the traffic before him. Finger pressing down on the crossing button a second time in the effort to try and hasten its function.

But after five minutes of waiting and no indication that the traffic was going to slow a realisation began to creep its way along Anthony's mind. That perhaps the lack of sounds emitting from the crossing lights and the lack of any sign the traffic's course was slowly were related. Perhaps the lights were malfunctioning.

Anthony's finger was now rapidly pushing on the button it rested on. The frustration within the blind teenager venting itself on the stupid rubber disk. It wasn't fair that on the one day he needed it, this crossing was not operating.

Thoughts swirled quickly through Anthony's head of what he could do now. Over the last few days it had been all he could think about, this mornings expedition. He had been daydreaming and planning it. Imagining how triumphant it would be when he did get to walk to school on his own, how it would be proof he could be independent. He hadn't imagined during his planning that something like this could happen. And because of this he didn't have any type of backup plan.

The teenager debated his options. He could turn around and go home . .  
As quick as that though appeared Anthony just as quickly dismissed it. He would rather stand here all day than have to go back home with his 'tail' between his legs. It would have been better to have not tried at all than to have tried and failed. Because at least with the former there was always hope. But to admit that he couldn't do something? To have to say that to his mom? No.. he would not. He could not.

He could always perhaps walk down the block further. See if he could locate another cross walk somewhere. His mental mapping skills and directional sense were pretty good. After all, when you're blind you developed them and honed them on a regular basis. But still, deviating from this route was uncharted territory. If he did find another set of traffic lights further down the street he couldn't guarantee, what with this cross walk not walking or making audible sounds, he'd know when he eventually made his way back here so as to continue on with his planned path when he was on the other side of the street.

Once again, it was the fear of failing. Of not getting to where he needed to go. Of ending up lost and wandering the streets for hours until someone eventually found him. Of having to face 'I told you so' once he was home.

So really, his one choice was to cross this street. And aren't things like this sent to try us? Imagine how much more sweet his victory for today would be with the knowledge that he was able to cross this street by himself. No stop light. No assistance.

But how was the question. Anthony held his breath and listened. Straining his ears to catch each whiz of each car as they sped by. Every so often there was a gap in the traffic. About five seconds of empty noise both before him and around him of him as the last noisy car went by. The motorway sounds fading into softer background noise all too briefly which indicated there must be a gap in traffic, no doubt caused by further upstream traffic functions. The only way for him to get across, Anthony decided, was to do it during one of these gaps.

The teenage boy used his cane to find the edge of the curb. Shuffling himself over until he felt the tip of his shoes at the very end of the safety zone that kept the traffic from him and vice versa. He folded up his cane, as he would need to run at the first opportunity and didn't want to accidentally drop it or have it catch on something as he made he sprinted his way across.

And then he waited, heart racing, till finally he heard a gap in the traffic. Part of his mind told him not to do this, to hold back. He was scared. But before this feeling could grip either himself or his feet too much Anthony was lurching forward into a run, sprinting as fast as he could. Adrenaline pushing him faster and faster.

There was silence all around him. The only sounds he could hear were the sound of his shoes impacting with road. Of his heart beat pounding in his ears.

And amongst the silence only broken by footfalls, there was a new sound. It was a whispering sound. A sound that it took Anthony a few seconds to recognise. But sometimes a few seconds is all it takes.

First there was the sound of bicycle tires skidding to his left. Then there was the feeling of hard, unyielding metal and softer yielding limbs impacting against him, lifting him up and tossing him into the air.

The sightless world before him was thrown into chaos. Anthony felt himself tumbling over and over, tangling amongst the metal of the bicycle, unknown pieces of metal cutting into his skin. He tfumbled against the road, first his shoulder painfully smashing against it, then his knees and finally his head. After which Anthony remembered nothing.

* * *

This room was nice. It was painted a soothing yellow. Butter yellow, the pink haired girl thought to herself. Yes, that is the exact shade. Which is quite different to say, buttercup yellow. Vastly different. In fact, she continued to ponder, if this room was painted buttercup yellow the feeling it would give off would be more energetic than soothing. Buttercup yellow was the colour of open fields where one could run and play. Of friends all laughing and chasing each other. With the bright sun all too quickly making its way across a clear blue sky.

For a brief moment the pink haired girl almost felt herself there. Running through grassy plains, the sound of laughter and happy squeals floating through the air, over the bird song of content canaries.  
And then it was gone. And the girl was back in the room of butter yellow walls.

Periodically around the room large stickers of such things as animated bears holding balloons and ducks in bath tubs were stuck to the butter yellow walls. This did puzzle her a little.. as it seemed somewhat in contradiction to the calm mood the room seemed to give off. For if anyone ever really came across a lumbering bear with balloons tied to its paws, or a wild duck in their bathtub they would be anything but calm.

There was another one of the very old, very tall people in the room. This time a man. He had said his name was 'Doctor Anderson' and he seemed rather nice. He also seemed very interested in games. Which was good, the pink haired girl thought, games were always fun. Not that doing work wasn't fun also. But games made people happy, it made them laugh. And laughter was important.

He had gotten her to play a number of different games so far. Many of them involving her memorising different pictures on cards and naming them back to him. It was all rather fun, but also in a way rather simple, thought the pink haired girl.

Of course, she won every game. Doctor Anderson seemed ever so impressed. He had started off with simple pictures, containing things like apples and oranges. Then moved on to ones with more detail, such as scenery where she needed to count the number of trees and then without forewarning once he had lowered the picture so she couldn't see it anymore, also name the number of clouds in the sky.

But it was still simple. And she still won the game each time no matter how many unexpected questions Doctor Anderson challenged her with. She had an amazing eye for detail, he commented. But the pink haired girl just smiled back. It wasn't so much she was good at remembering. Rather, when she saw a picture she saw.. well.. it was like she was seeing a complete puzzle. Each item inside the picture, each colour, was a piece of the puzzle. They all connected into each other, forming the entire picture. Without the right items with the right colours the puzzle pieces wouldn't bind together.

So when Doctor Anderson asked her to remember what was on the pictures he showed her, it was easy. It was just a matter of knowing how everything fitted together. And she just knew.

"Okay, we're going to play a different type of game." Doctor Anderson said to her, having seemed to have given up trying to beat her at the picture remember game. She was just too clever. "It's a remember game as well. Let's start with your ribbons.. Nurse Elliott said that a friend had given them to you. Who was this friend?"

The girl reaches up and touched the ribbons in her hair, running her fingers slowly along their tails. She frowned, thinking. The feel of the silky smooth ribbon running through her fingers seeming to stir forth something within her. For a moment she was in the field of buttercups again. With the laughter and sunshine and birdsong all around her. But all too quickly the memory disappeared, before she could turn about and try and see from who the laughter was coming from.

"I.. don't know." The pink haired girl admitted after a while. She was now a little sad. She didn't know who had given them to her but she had a feeling, deep inside, that they had been a rather special gift. A gesture that she had always remembered and cherished, until now.

Doctor Anderson's voice was gentle. "That's alright. I'm sure you'll remember in time. Let's try something else. Do you remember your mom? Do you remember the last time you saw her?"

She looked back at Doctor Anderson, confused, her mouth repeating the word over a couple of times. 'Mom'. It was a strange word. Sounding so foreign.  
"What's a mom?" the girl eventually had to ask. This new game wasn't as easy as the first. The rules seemed to be different. But if admitting she didn't know what a mom was somehow meant she lost the game, Doctor Anderson didn't show it.

"Mom is another name for mother. Your mummy. A female grown up who looks after you and takes care of you. Do you remember anyone like that?"

What was a grown up? Maybe it was someone who was, well, fully grown. She looked down at her hands, studying them. They were hers alright, but compared to the hands of all the very old, very tall people here her hands were practically tiny.

"I'm not a grown up, am I?" She asked, wishing to clarify. These were such new concepts to her.

"No." He said with a smile. "I'm a grown up. Nurse Elliott is.. well.. technically a grown up. You're a child. A kid. A person is usually called a grown up when they turn 21 years old."

Twenty one years old? How old was she? Years were the shifting of seasons. From summer to autumn. Autumn to winter. And winter to spring. But the pink haired girl felt she had seen many of those. Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Did that mean she was millions of years old?

But she wasn't a grown up. Doctor Anderson had said it himself. She was a child, a Kid.

Yes, that sounded right. A Kid.

She repeated the word. Kid. It seemed to resonate something within her. Like a crystal being struck, causing it to vibrate and sing. A sparkling pink crystal. She repeated the word over and over in her mind. Kid, Kid, Kid, Kid. Feeling the resonance grow.

Suddenly her eyes widened, crystal clarity in them, a memory having sprung out at her. Shaken loose by the resonance, "My name is Pink." Pink said.

Whether Doctor Anderson was impressed at either this revelation or that she had won his game yet again he didn't give any indication. Instead he tapped his chin for a moment then wrote something down on the clipboard he had beside the pile of pictures he had been showing her. Something he did not seem to be about to share.  
"Pink?" He repeated. He then gave her a smile and said, "Well then. If that is what you say your name is, then that is what we must call you. Pink it is."

And to this the girl smiled.

Her games with Doctor Anderson didn't last much longer after that. He said it was enough for one day. Pink wondered to herself if maybe he had enough of her winning all the time.

She knew that sometimes when you were very good at a game that sometimes it was nice to lose on purpose, every now and again. To ensure the others you played with got a chance to win. But she didn't think that was the case. Doctor Anderson never seemed very happy when she lost. Just understanding. He was more happy when she won. And in the end it was making people happy that was important.

Well, everyone needed a rest after too much play. So that is probably the case, Pink concluded. She had just worn him out. He was, after all, so very very old. A 'grown up' as he put it. Perhaps when you got old you weren't able to play for as long.

Then again, she had felt as though she was older than him hadn't she? She wondered why. So many questions. Things would be much easier if all her memories would stop hiding themselves.

But she had just found two. Two very important ones at that.

Her name was Pink and she was a Kid. And knowing those she felt much more herself.

* * *

Hours later, within the room that was not truly hers, Pink sighed and looked at the crayons in her hands yet again. They just weren't working the way they were supposed to. She was so excited at first when they had asked her if she wanted to do some colouring. She'd experimented with them by rubbing them against various items within her room. Lamps, bedside tables, the walls. But all it had achieved was one of the nurses giving her an annoyed looked when she had walked in, discovering the colourful smudges everywhere. She hadn't voiced her displeasure though. Maybe Doctor Anderson had told her not to.

It didn't matter, Pink decided as she dropped the red crayon back into the box , she was giving up on the colouring for the moment. She didn't know what result she was expecting, but she knew that grubby smudges on walls were not it.

But now there was the problem of what to do. It was dark but she wasn't tired enough to sleep. Maybe it was because she had already slept enough lately, at least according to the very old, very tall people. Three days. From when she had been brought to this place before she woke up in the bed that was not hers.

Standing from her little carpeted mat on the tiled floors, Pink decided that maybe it was about time she tried to find her room again. Her real room, not this place with the cold titled floors, bright white bed sheets and annoying crayons that didn't colour. She was sure that was probably where all her missing memories were hiding, in her room. Once she found her room she could win the game and play something else.  
And so Pink tip toed out the door of her hospital room and, noticing there being far less people about now that it was dark, began creeping down the empty, nighttime halls.

She wandered the long winding corridors for a while, trying to find anything that looked familiar. A bed, a cup, even a dress. Though nothing did, Pink did find the contents of the other rooms interesting none the less. All of them had kids in them. Some her age, some older, some younger. All asleep.  
She wondered to herself if they all were here too because they had lost something.

"You shouldn't be here." A voice said, coming out of the darkness at her after she had crept into one of the rooms to investigate things further. It had been a boy's voice, a little older than her it sounded like. But it was too dark to tell for certain. Turning about, squinting within the gloom Pink realised she actually couldn't see the person at all within the dark.

"Yes I know." Pink answered back, "I was actually out looking for where I should be." It was the truth after all.

"Well this is my room." The voice said, coming at her again from the darkness. It seemed to be coming from her left so Pink edged her way towards it, "You'll get in trouble if the nurses catch you out of bed."

Blindly groping about, edging forward carefully, just as Pink thought she was almost at the source of the voice her shin collided with something cold and hard. She let out a rather loud cry of pain and jumped back, banging into something else which caused her to cry out again. Before any further misfortunes could befall her as she hopped about, clutching her hurting shin, there was a click and suddenly light filled the room.

It took a few moments for her vision to adjust itself and while it did Pink had the somewhat uneasy feeling that she had been here before. The blindness, groping about and feeling something cold and metal. Then bright white light.

She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated. The memory was dancing around on the edge of her consciousness, just out of reach. Pink kept replaying the feeling of touching hard, cold metal in her head, within the darkness. It seemed to be linked to the dancing memory somehow. But as she concentrated the cold, glaring eyes came for her again. And fear clutched at her heart.

Within her mind Pink faltered, afraid, and drew back away from the memories. She could not face the cold, black eyes. Even if it meant finding that which was lost to her.

The memory of cold metal and blindness danced about a few more times and then was gone, no doubt finding a new place to hide. Pink sighed and opened her eyes.

"Better?" The voice asked. In front of her was a bed, the metal post of which she had bumped her shin on. In the bed there was a fair skinned, brown haired boy. His right hand was still resting on the switch of the lamp he had just turned on.

Pink looked at him for a few moments. His face was set in a mask of neutrality. In some ways he reminded her of the bed she had awoken in. His face and body language seemed to say 'You do not know me, and I don't know you. So do not think that will readily change'. He did seem like he belonged in this place of lost things.

"Yes, thank you." Pink replied, walking over to the edge of the bed. The bed was very large. So much so that Pink guessed one of the very tall people could lie in it without having to squish up. The boy in the bed was a little taller than her, meaning that an awful lot of the bed was just empty space. So Pink, rather than just stand there and look up at the boy in the rather large bed, grabbed hold of one of the bed posts and climbed up onto the bed, to sit on the end. After a somewhat surprised look on the boy's face he seemed to realise what Pink was doing and shifted himself into a sitting position also, until they were both sitting on the bed, facing each other. Pink staring at the boy, him staring off into the distance.

"I'm Pink." The pink haired girl finally introduced herself as after a few seconds of silence between them. "I'm here cause I'm lost. Are you lost too?" She was still awfully curious if anyone here was like herself.

The older boy before her shrugged. His face did not change, still seeming to convey a warning that 'You will not know me. Do not try', "Just some tests. I should be out back at home later tomorrow. I'm Anthony."

Pink guessed that meant the boy wasn't lost, since he knew that he would be home soon. She didn't concern herself too much about Anthony's comment of tests, as she had already had hers given to her by Doctor Anderson.

"Why are you called Pink?" the boy in the bed opposite her asked. His brows farrowed slightly while asking this.

Pink's smiled, her hand going to play with one of her pigtails. Her hair drew such attention. But in a good way. The nurses always smiled when seeing her, which was nice. As she had thought before, making people happy and smile was important. The boy opposite her really seemed like he needed to smile.

"Because that is my name." She giggled back.

"Oh." came his response, the boy seeming to consider this for a while.

Then once again there was silence again between the two. The type of awkward silence that can come with a first, unexpected meeting between two people. As each judges the other and tries to find something, some interest, some experience in which to connect the two. At least, Pink thought, she was interested in trying to talk. Anthony seemed like he wanted anything but to talk.

Eventually the younger girl said, looking for an opening, "What are you looking at?" Her blue eyes tried following Anthony's distant gaze. He wasn't looking at her, and hadn't done so since she had sat down on the bed.

"Nothing."

"You are." She replied. For he was, she was sure.

"No I'm not." He said again, there was now a flatness to his voice. If Pink had thought the boy in the bed had seemed closed off before, his body language and expression now told her he was now practically impenetrable. Whatever opening Pink had been looking for now seemed so much more harder to find.

"I'm blind." The boy eventually said, the flatness in his voice still there. "My eyes don't work. Even though they might be pointing somewhere, I can't see anything out of them."

"Oh." came Pink's reply. She didn't think she had ever met anyone who couldn't see before. She closed her eyes again for a few moments, trying to fully understand what it must be like. Everything was black to her, the bed, the boy, the building of lost people all dropping away into nothingness.

After a few seconds Pink opened her eyes, letting the world return and asked, "Is it scary?"

"No, it isn't scary. I've been like this all my life. I don't remember not ever being like this." He added, "I mean, do you get scared from being able to see?"

Pink considered for a moment, remembering the cold eyes that would come at her in her head, when she stepped too far into places that she didn't appear welcome.

"Yes. Sometimes." Her voice was soft, dropping to almost a whisper. It was once again the truth after all.

And to this Anthony's expression softened. His tone lifted itself out of the flat ravine it had descended into after Pink's question about his sight, and he asked, almost curiously, "What are you able to see that scares you?"

So Pink began with the explanation she had first given Nurse Elliott and then to Doctor Anderson. She told of her memories that would not come to her when she called to them. Of not remembering anything before awaking in the bed that was not hers, but knowing deep inside that some where she did have a room and a bed that was truly her own. Of having lost who she was.

She told it all, over again, except this time there was a difference. She told Anthony something she had not wanted to worry Nurse Elliott or Doctor Anderson with. With a deep breath she began to tell him that which she saw that scared her.

"Sometimes when I try to remember something that I've lost.. There's a memory that chases me.." she whispered, keeping her voice soft unless she draw its attention again. "If I try to remember something important, this other memory comes. I don't know what it is of, but it contains these scary glaring eyes. And laughter. But this isn't friendly laughter. It is the laughter of someone who is happy because I am not."

She sadly sighed, admitting, "I'm scared I'll never mind my memories. Cause the eyes will always be there, waiting for me. And I don't want to face the eyes. That's scarier than not having any memories."

The boy opposite his reached forward, sliding it along the bed. It eventually found her arm and, after running down it's length, his hand found hers and he held it, comfortingly. "I'm sorry." He said. "It must be hard, not remembering anything. Where you live.. your friends."

The girl of the pink hair and yellow ribbons smiled at the gesture and the words, replying as she brushed her sadness to the side, never one to dwell on negatives, "It's okay." And she then added with a giggle, "I don't remember not ever being like this."

Anthony's expression was a little blank for a moment as he seemed to take in these words. His own words, from earlier, repeated back to him as a friendly joke. From one who indeed could not remember being that way, cause she couldn't remember anything.

And then he started to laugh along with her giggles. The two sitting on the bed, in an island of lamplight, their laughter echoing through the night shadows. Connected.

As their mirthful sounds died away Anthony asked her, his mouth still slightly upturned in a smile, "Is your name really Pink? As in really really? Or is it a nickname?"

"Well, I think it is. It feels right. And that's what matters, isn't it?" Pink said, adding with another one of her giggles, "Anyway. It matches my hair."

"I wouldn't know." Anthony said. But he was still smiling. It wasn't said in bitterness, rather just a simple statement. "But I don't think I've ever met anyone with pink hair before."

Pink thought about the nurses that always smiled when they saw her and commented on her hair, usually being the first thing they noticed. And once again thought about what the world is like from Anthony's perspective. Once again closing her eyes for a few seconds to try to imagine it.

Eventually, after opening them again, she lifted the hand that was still clasping hers and placed it atop her head, allowing his fingers to rest amongst her hair at the base of her pigtails. "Imagine.. umm.. " she tried to think of how to best describe the essence of pink.

"Cotton candy?" Anthony ventured.

To this Pink gave a delighted squeal, bouncing up and down on the spot she sat in delight, "Yes! Cotton Candy is perfect!" Nothing radiated absolute pink more than pink cotton candy.

"Well, your hair does smell kind of like cotton candy.." Anthony revealed. "It was that and your footsteps that made me guess you weren't one of the nurses when you walked in my room. Anyway, a nurse would have turned on the light."

Pink was somewhat surprised at this. Not at the explanation of how Anthony functioned in a sightless world. But rather, she brought the end of a pink pigtail under her nose and sniffed and giggled.  
"You're right! Cotton candy." she admitted between the giggles. "I never noticed."

And Anthony chuckled. Eventually removing his hand from where it perched atop her head, placing it back down by his side. "Or forgot." He pointed out.

Pink giggled again at this. "So yes! Imagine cotton candy." And started to describe further, "It's like.. a puffy cloud of pinkness." She paused though, her giggles dying away a bit. Would Anthony even know what a cloud is? You couldn't touch a cloud. You couldn't smell a cloud. A cloud was something that you understood cause you could see it.

This was going to be hard.

"Ok. Cotton candy!" She started again, seriousness in her voice, quite determined that she would get this right. Determined she would describe it without using any visual terms. It was somewhat important to her that Anthony understand what pink was. As that was her name, wasn't it? "It's.. all fluffy and soft. And smells so so sweet. And you taste it and it is even sweeter. So sugary you get all light headed and giggly and happy. That's what pink is. It's a girl's color. Blue is for boys, while Pink is for girls. Because it is so sugary and sweet. Delicate and all giggly and well.. girl like."

And Pink watched Anthony, expectantly, as she finished what she thought was a quite good description of what the color pink was. The boy seemed to mull these words over for a good while. He eventually said, "Okay. . so if I am to imagine your hair.. I just imagine you? As you just described yourself. At least the impression that I get.."

She was a little disappointed, as this wasn't really what she was trying to convey. But, as Pink considered further, she guessed she could work with it. Her name was Pink, her hair was pink, she loved the color most out of all of them. Why not? If Anthony needed to imagine the color pink then he could just imagine her. She would be an ambassador for pink!

"Okay." The newly appointed ambassador for pink said cheerfully, "If you think of pink, think of Pink." giggling as she so often did.

It was then that the sound of distant footsteps began to carry themselves into the room of the two nighttime chatters. Somewhere outside, within the halls of the building of lost people someone was approaching.

"You better go." Anthony said upon hearing it. "That will be one of the nurses. You'll get in trouble if you aren't in your room."

Pink nodded to this. Everyone had been so nice to her here so far, she didn't want to cause any problems. She looked at Anthony and somewhat impulsively gave him a quick, friendly hug. As that is what he was now, wasn't he, a friend? The only friend she could remember.

The boy was a little stunned at the impulsive gesture, but it was over soon enough and Pink was sliding herself off the bed and making her way back towards to door. "Goodnight Anthony." She whispered as she reached the doorway, being cautious to not get caught out of bed as Anthony had warned. But then again, she was good at hide and seek wasn't she?

"Will you visit me again? Tomorrow? Before I go home?" came the response. The look on his face was hopeful. No longer was his face telling her 'you will not know me' as it had when she first arrived.

"Yes, of course. I promise."

And there again was the smile that Pink thought Anthony looked much better wearing.


	4. Interlude 1

Chapter 4: Interlude 1

It was funny. Kinda. Well, you had to laugh. Actually, you shouldn't laugh. Should you? She liked laughing though. She was full of giggles. Giggling all the time. She liked to laugh and make other people laugh. So therefore shouldn't we all be laughing now?

Hmm. How long has it been since I've slept?

Laughter. It's what she would want. Or would she. Maybe she would think we were happy. Happy she is gone? Well, no one is happy. Not anymore. Not in rainbow land. It's like.. an essential component has been removed. A keystone from a bridge. Something that looks like all the other stones, but in reality binds them all together. Keeps them unified.

Two days since I've slept? Gotta rebuild the Color Console though. Rainbow is depending on me. If I fix the Color Console, then we can look at the spectrum. If we can look at the spectrum, we can plan on how to fix the spectrum.

Maybe Pink was a keystone? Arch bridges have keystones. Arch bridges look like rainbows. So without Pink we now all fall down?

Maybe I should sleep. Rest my eyes. My eyelids feel so heavy. And my eyes keep unfocusing. Almost makes me wonder why I wear glasses. Why do I wear them if my eyes won't focus. Maybe I need to build auto focusing glasses. Or maybe I need take my glasses off altogether.

Wait. That's silly. If I don't wear my glasses then how will everyone know it is me? They'll ask 'Where is Shy Violet? The one with the glasses' and I'll reply 'I'm right here.'. But they'll be 'Oh no, you're Indigo. Cause Shy Violet wears glasses'. And then I'll have to write poetry instead of equations because I'm Indigo.

How long has it been since I've slept? Maybe I'm Moonglow instead. She's always tired. Well not anymore. Now she's always sad. Like everyone else.

I saw her crying today. She didn't know I saw her, but I did. It was just after she got home at sunrise. She went into the kitchen and she cried. I guess I should have said something to her. But I didn't know what to say.. So I kept my head down.. down deep in the bowels of the Color Console pretending I couldn't hear. Sometimes I can talk forever. But, when it's most important, I find I can't say a word.

Ow. I just burnt my finger again. Must stop slipping with the soldering iron. Another burn, another bandaid. So many bandaids. Maybe I'm becoming Patty O'Green?

Wait, that's silly. Patty wouldn't be repairing the Color Console. Remembering that she shouldn't be soldering that red wire into the green one. Oh, whoops. Shouldn't have done that. Where did I put the wire cutters?

I wonder if Red would ever date Green. I think that would make Orange rather jealous. I wonder if anyone would ever date me. I wonder if I would want to date anyone. I wonder what the point of dating someone is. I must ask Lala that.

After I fix the Color Console, of course. I should probably rest my eyes though. Maybe just for a few seconds. Help them focus.

I wonder if Pink is okay. I wonder what it is like being a keystone. I wonder if everyone would miss me if something happened to me. Probably not, as I'm not a keystone. Maybe the Color Console would. After all, I'm the one who built it and knows how to repair it.

Yes. That's it. It's settled. Once I repair the Color Console, I'm going to date it. And Lala will be so jealous.

But first I'm going to rest my eyes. How long has it been since I slept?

London Bridge is falling down.. Falling down. Falling down. Rainbow Land is falling down. My fair Lady.


	5. Crayons and Colors

Chapter 5: Crayons and Colors

Pink awoke early from a dreamless sleep. It was still dark. But something inside her told her that it wouldn't be for much longer. Dawn was coming and she needed to see it.

She slid out of her temporary bed and stepped to the door of her room. The small window of the room in which she was staying faced north, so it was unable to assist her with her mission. Which meant she needed to find a vantage point that could.

The hallways were still as empty as they were earlier in the night so it was with little trouble that Pink was able to soon find the floor's stairwell. She was still half asleep as she walked, so it was surprising that she made her way so easily. It was almost as if she was being led by instinct.

Instinct.

It's a scientific word for something that science can't fully explain. It's a label given to the unanswerable 'how' of how someone or something with no memory of an event or action is able to recall perfectly what needs to be done.

Pink salmon are led by instinct away from their ocean home up into rivers to return to their spawning grounds. Pink flamingos instinctively group together for protection, each individual becoming connected and part of a greater whole.

And so too the Pink Kid found herself drawn along by an invisible force. Finding the right turns and steps that eventually led her to the hospital roof balcony. It was cold, her thin white cotton dress with exposed arms and legs offering virtually no protection against the gusting wind. But the girl barely noticed. Her mind lost in a daze, her actions all subconsciously driven. All she knew is she needed to be here. At this very moment, at this very time, it was her duty to stand vigil before the dawn.

She stepped out and up to the very edge of the guardrail of the balcony she had arrived at, turning and facing herself towards the dark eastern horizon. She watched and waited. Feeling the moment of dawn come closer and closer. Watching the horizon begin to lighten.

The twilight sky began to first turn orange at the lip of the distant horizon. Then slowly orange and yellow glows began to skirt up and along into the sky, slowly darkening into a glowering red. As minutes passed the sky above began to slowly fade from black to blue till finally the tip of the sun stretched itself over the horizon, framed by an angry red sky.

The roof top observer watched till the sun was too high and bright to gaze at anymore, and turned away. Strawberry eyebrows set in a frown.

It was wrong. Completely. Worryingly so.

She opened the door to the stairwell again and scampered quickly back down the stairs. Her small bare feet not even noticing the coldness of the concrete stairs beneath them, hurrying to her room. There was an emotion welling up inside her chest, though it was hard to put a name to what the emotion was.

It was a strange feeling that she should be in another place; somewhere other than here. And she felt if she didn't release the growing emotion soon she would burst.

The young girl moved quickly to the mat upon the tiled floor of the room that was not hers and sat herself down, pulling a blank piece of paper from the pile that had been left there and once again took the box of crayons into her hands.

The sunrise she had seen was wrong. The Yellow was trying too hard and the Orange was awkwardly trying to assist, but unsure of its role. While the Red was angry and lashing out at the sky.

A red crayon found its way into her hand and she was soon energetically rubbing it against the paper before her, smudging colour across the blank white slate. It was instinct again that guided her every move. Her left hand clenched tight around the red wax cylinder. Pink pressed down harder and harder with each pass along the paper, trying to get the tool to do what she felt it should be doing. Pass after pass it tore across the paper. Until finally the force was too great for the simple child's plaything and it snapped in two.

But the girl barely noticed, her hand discarding the broken instrument and reaching for another from the cardboard container. This time orange found its way into her small hand.

More etching on the paper occurred. Sharp hard lines being driven into the paper. But all too soon the inferior colouring item succumbed to the force it was being put under and orange too became a snapped and broken crayon beside the red.

The pink crayon within the box was the last that the Kid reached for. By this time the growing emotion within her now all-consuming. The pink crayon did not even make it to the paper before it was snapped in two. Pink simply holding it between her two hands and then applying enough force to divide it neatly into two pieces. Then two became four. And four became eight. And carefully each piece of pink was placed down on the tiled floor and then crushed under palm.

She was alone in the room, so no one bore witness to her actions. To the girl sitting cross-legged on the mat, carefully crushing the pink substance before her into a powder. Her colouring had suddenly moved on from basic scribbling into something else. Something much more spiritual.

Sand painting was known to many native cultures of Earth, often being performed as an important, sacred ceremonial act. And it was now Pink found herself engaged in a simular method of ancient colouring, scooping into her hands the fine pink powder that now covered the once white tiles.

With calmness, feeling herself connected to something greater than herself much like the instinctual flocking pink flamingos, the pink haired girl brought her cupped hands to her mouth and, taking a deep breath, blew.

Her breath caught the pink powder in her hands and sent it dancing and scattering over the paper before her of smudged reds and oranges.

The breath turned to a sigh as the last pink powdered particle fell from the air, the feeling of need leaving Pink. She was done. Whatever her duty was it was now fulfilled.

She stood from the mat, her white cotton dress and arms smeared with the colourful reminisce of crayons that gave all they could, and stepped to the bed that wasn't hers. Suddenly very tired.

The sheets were still as cold and stiff as they always were but they would do their job. And exhausted Pink closed her eyes as she settled amongst them, falling back to the dreamless sleep she had awoken from before.

It would be later that Nurse Elliott entered the room to check on Pink. And would find what appeared to be a chaotic mess of broken and smashed crayons scattered all over the floor.

It would be then when she moved to clean up the mess, stepping further into the room, that she would spot the piece of paper at the heart of the floor bound chaos.

A lump would form in her throat and her eyes would first dart to the sleeping child nestled within the crayon stained sheets of the hospital bed, then back to the picture on the floor. The image on the paper was almost like a photograph. Scarcely resembling anything that could have been drawn, let alone with crayons.

But the nurse could tell it wasn't a photograph, as the picture before her was textured. A photograph would be flat and glossy, while this image was composed of rising and falling contours of pink crayon particles. All swirling along and across the page from a central sliver in the centre of the page.

It was a sunrise. Molded out of pink crayon instead of light but equally as beautiful. In fact, it was somewhat scary how beautiful it was. As crayon should never be able to produce something like this. Not in a million years.

* * *

It was eggs she smelt. Eggs and toast, definitely. The smell of warming butter melting into the crisp pours of toasted bread roused Pink from her exhaustion fuelled slumber. She opened her eyes tiredly, blinking a few times to fully awaken the blue centred orbs, and stretched. She noticed sunlight was pouring through the window of her room. So much so that Pink wondered to herself exactly how long she had been sleeping.

Three days, she reminded herself. When she had first arrived here she had slept for three days. Where had she been before that? Doctor Anderson said she had been found laying out in the street. A passer by had discovered her and called someone to take her to this place of the lost. But Pink remembered nothing of that. And nothing before it. It was as if she had been asleep her whole life. Waking up for the first time just yesterday.

She looked again at the sunlight pouring into her room, trying to judge the time. How did she know she hadn't slept for yet another three days? Or more?

'Will you visit me again? Tomorrow? Before I go home.' A voice inside her head repeated. Reminding. It was the voice of the boy she had met the previous night. Reminding her of a promise she had made.

Pink's eyes again looked at the sunlight streaming into her room, unsure of the time, but an increasingly worried feeling had taken seed in the pit of her stomach, and was currently growing branches of doubt and concern up through her body. She had only one friend in the entire world, here and now, and maybe she had just inadvertently broken a promise to him. Missed his leaving and now he was lost to her like all her other memories.

Pink was out of bed in moments, her bare feet sending her quickly skipping through the room as soon as they made contact with the cold white tiles of the floor. She had already lost so much, she did not want to lose the only friend she could remember. She had to find Anthony.

But before she could get to the door a voice caught her attention.

"Good morning Pink." said the now familiar voice of Doctor Anderson. "Is everything alright? Are you perhaps needing to go to the toilet? I'll get one of the nurses to take you."

The pink haired girl froze just feet from the door, turning about wide-eyed. In her haste she hadn't even noticed she wasn't alone. There, sitting in the corner of her room, a table holding a tray of food next to him, was Doctor Anderson. Watching her as intently as he always did.

"Doctor Anderson." Pink said quickly, the seed within her having now become a tree of blossoming fear, "There's this boy. I met him last night. I need to see him. Today. If today is still today that is and I haven't slept through it. Just I promised, Doctor Anderson. He's my only friend and if I break my promise I will be hurting him and our friendship."

Doctor Anderson seemed to take all this in, staying silent for a little bit. Pink considered he did this a lot. Chewing over words and digesting them. Both hers and his own.

"A boy you say?" Doctor Anderson eventually replied. His words were short and concise. Leaving it to Pink to further elaborate with her own. Perhaps Doctor Anderson had not had his breakfast yet, like her, and wished for more words to eat and digest.

"Yes, his name is Anthony." Pink continued on with, looking towards the door despairingly and trying to make Doctor Anderson understand the urgency. Almost imagining that if Anthony had not left already he might be preparing to depart any minute now. "I met him last night. At least I thought it was last night. I haven't been asleep for another three days have I? Anthony is the boy down the hall who cannot see. I know I aren't meant to leave my room at night but I couldn't sleep and met him. He is leaving today and I need to see him before he goes. I promised."

"Well then." The doctor eventually responded with. Seeming to have had his fill with words, "I can guarantee you that you haven't been asleep for another three days. It is only a little past ten thirty in the morning. The morning after our session yesterday, that is Pink. So then.." Doctor Anderson said as he stood from the chair he was sitting in and walked over to Pink, guiding her back over to the tray of food. "No need to worry. And you need to eat. So help yourself while your breakfast is still warm."

"but.." Pink began, looking back to the door, still unsure. She was hungry. Starving, come to think of it. But her promise to Anthony was far more important than any needs she might have.

"No buts. You made a promise and it is commendable that you wish to keep it. But your health is my biggest concern, and it should be yours. How about this, you made a promise to see this boy? I'll make one of my own. I'll promise you'll see him before he leaves. So you eat. After that, I have a few more games I'd like you to play. I thought we'd do some drawings today. Then we'll see about this boy you need to see."

Pink was a little uncertain, but she had no reason to doubt Doctor Anderson's words. He had been so nice to her so far. So the hungry girl sat herself down next to the table on which the tray of food sat and removed the cover, revealing what looked like scrambled eggs and toast and orange juice.

Not at all what I would have made for myself, she considered. Strawberry pancakes and pink grapefruit juice came to mind when she imagined the perfect breakfast she would cook. But it would be rude to be fussy when someone had made this especially for her. Plus she was awfully hungry. So Pink carefully took the tray and placed it onto her lap and began to eat as Doctor Anderson smiled at her and walked out the door.

The eggs were nice and hot, along with the toast. Which was good in a number of ways. Firstly it meant that this was breakfast. A freshly made breakfast. So she really must not have over slept for too long. Secondly she was cold. Not on the surface, but there was a chill deep in her bones. It must have been from the early morning expedition, she concluded. It was between the third mouthful of toast and egg that Pink happened to look at the tiled floor of the room. It was clean, spotless, and not a single trace of her after dawn activities. At least, what she remembered as her after dawn activities. Her crayons were neatly packed away, her drawing paper neatly stacked.

Pink's blue eyes next moved down to her hands. The only thing they were covered in were crumbs. There was no trace of crayon residue she remembered. At least, thought she remembered. From her hands her eyes then trailed further up her arm, towards the white, faded, cotton dress she wore. It too seemed untouched. Perhaps she had dreamt it all, Pink began to conclude. It did seem very surreal after all. At the time she had felt like she was a puppet on a set of strings, being pulled this way and that. Hardly thinking about what she was doing, or needed to do, instead finding herself performing actions in an almost daze.

Now that she thought about it further, it did seem like a dream. And since there was no evidence in her room that the events had actually taken place Pink decided to treat it as a dream. Now, her meeting with Anthony, that wasn't a dream. She remembered the rush of joy she felt when he had smiled at her during their meeting. Even now she smiled at the memory. She had a friend.

* * *

By the time Doctor Anderson returned, Pink had finished her breakfast and had a chance to not only put her hair back into their usual pigtails but give her hair a good brushing with a brush she had found in her bedside table draw. There was still no sign of the dress she felt belonged to her, but the white cotton one she still wore still seemed clean. Just like her hands showing no signs of any possible pre dawn activities.

"Now Pink.." He said, moving to the neatly stacked paper and neatly boxed crayons over by her mat. "Today, as I said, I thought we'd do some drawings. You were so good at the remember game we might as well do something different today. Does that sound fun?"

Pink wasn't sure. She loved colouring, sure. But after she had woken this morning something felt.. different. Exhausted almost. But Doctor Anderson had promised that after she played some games with him she could fulfil her promise and meet the boy with the unseeing eyes. And anyway, it was the nice thing to do. To play the games he wanted. As maybe Doctor Anderson didn't have anyone to play with? This was the second day in a row he wanted to play games, so the least she could do was be friendly to him. Keeping this in mind the girl nodded to the very old, very tall person and stepped over to her mat.

Sitting down, Pink took a piece of paper from the neat stack and a crayon from the box. A blue crayon. Jaybird blue. She then looked up at Doctor Anderson and asked, "What do I need to draw? Will you be drawing too?" It was his game after all.

"Anything you like, Pink." He said, taking the seat she had eaten her breakfast on and moving it over to sit a few feet away from her.

He sat, watching keenly. For the first time Pink considered that his eyes seemed very much like those of a cat. Watching everything hungrily; intently. Perhaps it was not just words he consumed and digested, but actions as well.

"And I won't be drawing anything today. Maybe next time."

So, she could draw anything? Well.. that made the game more easy. Or, after consideration, more hard. As the pink haired girl wasn't sure what she wanted to draw. Or, after even further consideration, was expected to draw. So after a few more moment's thought on how to approach this task Pink took the blue crayon and, starting at the bottom right hand corner of the piece of paper, began to carefully work on filling the entire piece of paper with blue. Colouring it in. All the while getting an almost mischievously guilty feeling that she was doing something naughty. That someone, somewhere, would be protesting that she was colouring things with the colour blue.

Maybe that someone was Doctor Anderson?

Once she was about a third of the way through the piece of paper, replacing the white blandness with brilliant blue, Pink looked up to see what Doctor Anderson thought. Still intently he watched her, but unlike the previous day he didn't wear the pleased smile he had worn whenever she beat him. Or an understanding smile when she did something wrong. There was an ever so faint frown visible on his features.

At her glance he said, asking, "Can I ask what you are drawing, Pink? Is that perhaps the sky?"

Pink looked down at the paper, tilting her head and considering, "No. The paper is plain, so I'm colouring it in. It will look nicer when it is blue."

Doctor Anderson lent down and to Pink's surprise actually took the piece of paper she had been colouring in, placing it in his lap atop the clipboard he always had with him. He then took another sheet of bland, plain, untouched whiteness from the stack on the floor and set it out before Pink.

"Sorry, but the game is you need to draw something. A picture. Such as yourself or say, atree or a cat. Anything you like. But it needs to be a drawing. Once you have done your drawing then you can colour it in if you like."

Looking down at the newly placed piece of blank paper, Pink thought to herself that she had liked how the blue colouring was going. Her original piece of paper was starting to look so much more interesting and lively. There was something just so.. right about filling something with colour. Without colour everything seemed just to be slumbering.. waiting. Then you filled it with colour and life, awakening it and letting it reach its full potential. She liked seeing that.

But, this was Doctor Anderson's game and if he said the rules were you had to draw something, not just colour, then she had to do as the rules said. That's why games had rules, after all. So everyone adhered to them. Without rules, no one would know when a game was won or lost. No one would play correctly or fairly.

Still holding the blue crayon, Pink put it to paper again and started over. This time drawing a careful straight line. She then drew another, and then a third, drawing a triangle.

Once the triangle was complete, she moved her hand over a couple of inches and started to draw a circle. After which she drew a square, rectangle, oblong and a pentagon. Each simple shapes, composed of nothing but lines.

It was by the stage Pink was working on an octagon that she looked up again and again saw that Doctor Anderson still wasn't smiling. Though she was unsure why, she was drawing as he had asked. She even said as much.

"Pink.." the older of the two began, "A drawing has pictures. Images. Mountains, grass, skies. A drawing tells a story. That's the type of drawing you need to do. While your shapes are nice, they are just that. Shapes."

The girl looked down at the shapes she had been working on a little disheartened, then looked back to the very tall, very old person sitting watching her and pointed out, remembering the rules, "You said I could draw anything I want."

That was why games had rules. So you could make sure you played properly. Or, as seemed to be the case with Doctor Anderson, when someone wasn't.

"Well then." He said, "Let's change the game we are playing? How about I name things and you draw them? Does that sound more fun?"

Pink considered. On the day before this, when they had played games in the butter yellow room Doctor Anderson had commented that she had an eye for detail. More, it was that she was good at seeing the little things. Picking up on subtle nuances. And here and now she was picking up on a subtle nuance in Doctor Anderson's tone. It was the type of tone one would use, during a game, when you wanted to play a trick on someone you were playing with. Where you might tell them during Hide and Seek to go hide while you count to 100 but instead you only count to 20.

But seeing why was like trying to see spectral purple. It eluded the girl, Pink couldn't quite see why Doctor Anderson had this new tint within his voice. Perhaps it was all just part of the game?

So, seeing no reason not to, the Pink Kid nodded to him that she would play by his further new rules.

"Okay. Let's start by drawing the sun." Doctor Anderson said.

It seemed like a simple enough request, the pink haired girl thought. Drawing the sun would be easy. It was a circle coloured correctly, wasn't it? So, she began sorting through her box of crayons, picking out a yellow one. She brought the drawing tool down to the paper, while Doctor Anderson looked on expectantly, and then hesitated.

A feeling began to well within her the closer she got to the paper. A turbulent and scary emotion. It wasn't the same feeling she had in her dream this morning, when she colored the sunrise.. but it was just as strong. This was a foreboding feeling, one where she felt she was about to do something terribly wrong. Something almost sinful.

In all games there are rules. Rules that must be adhered to. And the girl's instincts, the subconscious race memory that science is yet able to explain, were warning her of a very important rule that she must follow. She was allowed to Color, but never Create. Anything that already existed could be Colored by her. That was her right. But Coloring something from nothing, Coloring into existence something that didn't already exist was something she was not allowed to do.

The girl frowned at these feelings, unsure where they were coming from, looking back at Doctor Anderson in confusion. Was this part of his game? He seemed to be watching her, wanting to continue on. Even motioning with his head to continue. So Pink lowered her yellow crayon further, almost touching it's tip to the paper. Then she dropped it.

There was pain. Deep within her stomach Pink felt her insides cramping up. Like an angry fist, knotting and clenching tight. As the muscles in her abdomen balled up, so did she. Pink drew her feet up to her stomach and closed her eyes, curling into a ball and wincing. The yellow crayon dropping and rolling across the white floor. Away.

"Owww.." the pinked haired girl moaned, rocking herself back and forth.

Doctor Anderson was quickly beside her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"My tummy hurts." Pink whimpered, all thoughts of coloring disappearing from her head. The cramping pain in her stomach made it too difficult to concentrate on anything else.

The girl kept her eyes squeezed shut in a wince, rocking back and forth all the while, almost trying to calm her upset stomach through the gentle rocking motion. She felt large, strong hands suddenly place themselves under her arms and pick her effortlessly up. Soon she was on her bed again, laying on her side and curled into a ball.

"I'll get Nurse Elliott." Doctor Anderson said, his hand going to her forehead and touching it for a few moments. "I'll see if she can give you something to help with your tummy."

She heard his footsteps walking quickly away and she was alone again. Just her and her thoughts. And her angry stomach. But truth be told, now that she was up on her bed, away from the crayons and the paper and the expectations she was beginning to feel better. But she let Doctor Anderson go anyway. She didn't really feel like coloring today. Or at least, doing the type of coloring he wanted her to do. As she lay there, in the silence, her stomach soon had calmed itself. Its clenched muscles easing away, the sea of unrest settling into a smooth calm.

The girl of pink hair patted it gently through her cotton skirt, mentally telling it that it need not fuss any further so please behave. She would do something else that they would find more interesting and fun than coloring. There was a promise she had to keep.

Making sure Doctor Anderson hadn't returned yet, Pink grinned to herself and skipped out the door. Doing her best not to be seen. Which sometimes seemed a bit too easy. As when she tried her best, it was as if people couldn't see her at all.

No wonder she was always so good at hide and seek.

* * *

Anthony squeezed his fists tightly, feeling like he wanted to scream in frustration. Or better yet, throw and break something. She was impossible. No, more than impossible. She was so impossible that it was impossible to describe how impossible she was.

If he had to listen to one more lecture from his mom about how he had done something incredibly foolish and this is why he couldn't be trusted, Anthony felt as though next time he was able to leave the house he would just keep on walking. He didn't have any other place to go, but anywhere was better than there. And so he would just walk. Find somewhere where he could be his own person.

At least the hospital was a nice refuge away from home, for the time being. It was lunch and he could hear the lunch cart rattling down the halls. Morning visiting hours were up and so fortunately his mom had to go. Giving him a respite from all the lectures. From all the reminders of the things he apparently cannot do.

Cannot. It was a terrible word. It was a steep cliff face carved with the words 'inability' that one could not climb. There was no navigating around it. No going forward. Only going back. When cannot was thrown his way, it just made Anthony more determined to show that he could. For if he let an unpassable barrier appear each time he heard 'cannot' be said, sooner or later he would be walled off and away, in a corner he could not escape from.

It was fortunate in the sense that it seemed his stay had been extended. Although all their tests showed that there didn't appear to be a sign of any internal injuries and technically he could go home now if he wished, one of the hospital's psychologists had approached him earlier in the morning. The doctor offered, after asking if he was indeed looking forward to going home and Anthony giving his honest answer, that he could stay a few more days if he liked. To 'ensure he was fully ready to head back home'. It was an offer Anthony had happily accepted.

And now he was here. For how long he didn't know. But he did know it was better than being at home. At least it had seemed that way. Until he realised there wasn't much to do. Their library didn't contain any brail material. The hospital radio hadn't so far produced any interesting songs. And it was getting too late in the evening to begin exploring again.

So he was left alone. As he so often was at home.

History was repeating itself, but not in the way Anthony first thought.

For it began as it had done the previous night. First there were the footsteps, stepping in a happy almost skipping manner. Then there was the faint, sugary sweet candy scent of cotton candy.

Anthony couldn't help but smile, listening to the footsteps make their way towards his hospital bed. He felt the fabric of the bedspread he was sitting on tense as an end was pulled upon, no doubt being used as a handhold due to the hospital bed being some distance off the ground. Then there was a grunt of effort and the mattress beneath him shook slightly as a new occupant managed to pull herself up on to the bed.

"I'm glad you're here." the new arrival's voice said. She had a high, light voice that tickled through the air merrily. Seeming to give the impression that the owner was smiling. Or if she wasn't smiling, she wanted nothing more than to, "I thought I might have missed you. I so wanted to keep my promise."

Her name was Pink, Anthony remembered. Like the color. The color that was meaningless to him. The color was meaningless, though she was not. Amongst all the family drama today he had kept looking forward to the hopeful possibility that the girl he had met the night before would return. She seemed so.. happy. And carefree. Her mood was so high that it was as if, when talking to her, Anthony felt his own mood uplifting so as to reach her.

"I'm glad you wanted to keep your promise." he responded, genuinely. Hoping that she was wearing the same smile that her voice seemed to convey her wearing. "How have you been? How are your memories? Anything surfaced yet?"

If the girl was sad about her current state, she didn't show it in her voice. It was still as happy and energetic as always, "No, not yet. At least nothing that I can remember not remembering."

There was a giggle after this. She seemed always to be in such good spirits. Anthony couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in her position. Not remembering your friends, your family, your life. He considered to himself, if he had forgotten everything, how would he react. Would he be in such good spirits as this girl called Pink? Would he even be the same person that he was right now? People are shaped by their memories. From birth to death they are constantly moulded and redefined by the choices they make and the experiences they encounter. From everything they remember. Look at him, would he be the same person he was now if he hadn't defied his mother and attempted to walk to school on his own? For one he wouldn't be here right now. He wouldn't have met the girl called Pink.

So if people were shaped and defined from birth by what their memories were, what did that make Pink? Without any memories, did that mean she was brand new? Untouched by the worries and troubles of the world. She seemed like it.. always so happy. Always ready to laugh about what would worry someone else.

Except for..

"And the eyes?" Anthony asked cautiously. "They haven't come for you again?"

The girl's tone dropped. This time the audible smile in her voice seemed to have disappeared. A fact that Anthony felt guilty about. To remove the laughter and joy from someone so innocent and carefree seemed a terrible act.

"No. They haven't." The girl said, quietly. "I think I have lost them, or they have forgotten about me. At least I hope so. I haven't gone looking for any new memories today, just in case."

And Anthony's hand found itself moving along the bed, taking her hand within his own again as he had done the previous night. Her hand was smaller than his, indicating she was probably younger than him. It felt soft and small and fragile, her little fingers wrapping around his own. Clutching to him. He held her hand, reforging the same connection that had sprung forth last night. But she was still quiet. He had said the wrong thing.

"So tell me about red." Anthony said, somewhat out of the blue. Wishing to take Pink's mind away from the topic of the eyes that were in her memories. To once again hear the laughter in her voice.

"Red? The color?" Pink asked, her voice changing to a tone of curiosity.

"Well.. " Anthony began to explain, more asking for Pink's benefit. Choosing a topic that he hoped would make her happy, "Last night you explained what the color pink was. Now when I think of pink, I imagine you. I kind of now, well, have an understanding of what pink is. I was hoping you might describe some other colors for me. Although I cannot see them, I would like to know them. At least know about them from your perspective."

Anthony felt the mattress beneath him bounce a little, the hand he was holding also shake up and down as the owner bounced on the bed. When she spoke there was excitement in her voice, her words coming out fast. "Okay, that sounds great fun. Let me see.. red." And the girl paused, though only in voice. Anthony could feel she was still bobbing about on the bed as she thought, "Okay. If you are imagining the color pink.."

"Well, if I'm imagining you.." Anthony reminded, since the girl had become the unofficial Ambassador to Pink the night just passed. Giving Anthony something more physical and substantial to relate the color to, the color he had never seen before.

"Well okay." Pink continued on with, "Imagine.. Red is.. very close to Pink. You could almost think they were brother and sister. So close is their resemblance. Where there is Pink, Red is often not far away. Maybe it is because Red is the older of the two. Older and stronger. Pink is subtle.. gentle.. female. While Red is brash, passionate and so very like a boy. Red is the colour of fire. Of emotion. It's because he is so strong willed that makes him so brash. Sometimes he bites off more than he can chew, but even though he might he still never backs down. He is brash, but also brave."

Anthony tried imagining along with Pink's explanation. He did imagine a boy, as Pink described. A boy who was always brash, doing what he wanted. Or more importantly, what he felt was right. He thought for a moment that Pink might be simply trying to describe himself. After all, Anthony was brash.. sometimes getting in over his head; but never backing down. But then he remembered Pink didn't anything about what had brought him to the hospital. The episode of running through traffic purely because he didn't want to admit defeat. Almost getting himself killed.

So perhaps although she wasn't describing him, red was his color. He liked the sound of it. But he did pause, trying to clarify "So, Pink has a brother? You have a brother? And he is, well, Red?"

The girl fell silent for a few moments.. her index finger resting over his hand tapping away atop it. It seemed she was thinking this question over.

"Noo." She replied. Drawing the word out, seeming to not be completely certain. "If you were imagining Pink and Red to be real people.. they could be brother and sister. But they're not. They're just.. simular. Pink would be the girl version of Red and Red would be the boy version of Pink. They're simular people. The same, but different."

Anthony didn't fully understand, but he thought he understood enough. He liked the idea that he was like the color red. After all, Pink had said the color red was close to the color pink. And he liked the idea of being close to the girl who lifted his mood so.

Though Anthony's face did flush a little, flush red he reminded himself as he felt his cheeks burning a bit, as he asked further, "How close are Red and Pink then, if they were real people of course. If they are simular then does that mean Pink likes Red? You know.. like likes."

"Oh no!" Pink exclaimed, suddenly giggling. Anthony felt Pink's left hand give his shoulder a little push, as if he had said something outrageously funny. But she still kept her right hand within his, Anthony noticed, all the while. "They may not be brother and sister. But they might as well be. Anyway, everyone knows Red loves Lala and she loves Red."

"Lala?" Anthony repeated. Not entirely sure of which color this was. Truth was he never did really worry much about them before now. There were so many types after all. Red, yellow, pink, magenta, aqua marine, turquoise. It was an alien language to him. "What color is Lala?"

The girl was silent again, which Anthony took to mean she was thinking. "Lala.." Pink repeated, quietly. Softly. Her voice quivering slightly. "I have a friend.. her name was Lala. Err.. is Lala. I think.. she.. umm.."

Quietness again. Anthony didn't say a word. In fact, he realised, as the seconds passed, he was even holding his breath as the girl seemed to be trying to remember something. Something from before she arrived, which before now she had never remember anything.

"She.. umm.." The girl repeated again. Her voice was now little more than a squeak. But she didn't say a word after that.

Anthony held her hand all the while, waiting hopefully for some revelation to spring forth from her mouth of who she was or who Lala might be. But the silence persisted, till Anthony began to feel her hand tremble and shudder within his own.

The sensation of a tiny droplet of warm liquid splashing down onto his bare right forearm caused his arm goose pimple. Then another tiny droplet was felt coming in quick succession. It took a moment for Anthony to realise that with the shaking of the girl and the squeaking in her voice, that the wet drops on his arm were tears. She was crying.

Somewhat awkwardly Anthony moved forward, wrapping his arms around the silently sobbing girl and he held her. Held the girl of laughter and innocence for what seemed like forever, letting minutes roll quietly by, letting her bury her head into his shoulder and cry.

He didn't say anything while she did so. Sometimes it was more important to just be there, as a shoulder to cry on when a friend needed it. To be there so that the tears didn't fall to the floor, alone and forgotten.

Once her shaking seemed to fade, Anthony unwrapped his arms from the girl. Drew his face away from above the cotton candy scented hair.

"What is wrong?" Anthony eventually said. Uncertain what had caused the sudden shift in the girl's mood, "You shouldn't worry if you aren't able to remember who Lala is. I mean, being able to even remember that you have a friend named Lala should be reason to celebrate."

"No, no it isn't." Pink said. There was sorrow in her voice. Even though her crying had stopped whatever was troubling her had not. "I could almost see her. See the memory. It was standing right before me. But I chose not to grab it and embrace it and discover who Lala is. I was too scared the eyes would find me if I did. I was scared they would be angry if I did and come for me."

She bemoaned, her voice muffled as she covered her face with something, "I'm a coward, Anthony. And a terrible friend. Whoever Lala is, I'm sure she deserves better. Deserves a friend who wants to remember her. Who would fight to."

Anthony thought about this. The girl seemed petrified of 'the eyes', of a memory which contained them. He had the worrying feeling that something bad had happened to Pink. Something that had caused her to flee not just from the memory of the eyes, but everything else connected to them.

But she was remembering, wasn't she? Slowly, even though when she realised she was she would try not to. Each time he said something that would almost remind her of something from her past the girl of giggles and laughter shifted to tears. But the teenager guessed that it would just be a matter of time. Before she did remember everything whether she wanted to or not. And he worried that when she did she would have to finally face the memory of 'the eyes'.

It was unfair, someone as sweet as her had so many troubles. And his talk of colors hadn't distracted her from her troubles.. in fact it had just made her remember all the more. He needed something different.

"Alright Pink.." Anthony said, suddenly smiling. "You've been showing me your world, I want you to try mine."

* * *

Pink carefully rolled the white pillow case over her head, her pigtails lost within it. She looked at Anthony as she did so, he was sitting on his bed smiling. He seemed really happy about this new game. And truth be told, so was she. Not because games were fun, not because making people happy was important. But simply because she really liked her friend Anthony and she did indeed want to see what his world was like.

Still, in the back of her mind, she worried about Lala. That whoever this girl was, wherever she was, Pink was failing their friendship by choosing to not remember. To remember who Lala was. To remember who the boy of red was who dated Lala. To remember where the canary song filled fields were.

The game of hide and seek with her memories within her mind had begun to change this day. No longer were they silent, hidden entities. Now they were calling towards her as she walked through her mental landscape. Tempting her to find them. But she couldn't, as she knew what was there waiting for her if she did. She whispered a silent 'I hope you understand. I'm sorry.' to Lala, wherever she might be.

"Okay.." Pink said, verbalising her actions so that she could keep Anthony informed of where she was up to, "I'm pulling the pillow case over my eyes now."

As she did so, Pink's vision became obstructed. Where there was once the vibrant colors that made up the world there was suddenly nothing. Just like the previous night, where she had squeezed her eyes shut trying to imagine what it must be like to be blind, she was alone in the darkness.

"And?" she heard Anthony's voice say.

After he spoke she heard a thump on the floor over by the bed. So she replied with, "And umm.. and I can't see. What was that noise?"

It was then footsteps that Pink heard, stepping over towards her from where the thump had sounded. They were loud footsteps, seeming too loud. The person making them was deliberately making them loud, stamping their feet. At least, that's what it sounded like.

"I now hear footsteps." Pink said, turning about on the spot. Facing the footsteps even though it was pointless since she couldn't see what was causing them. "You're making the footsteps, aren't you? The thump I heard was you sliding off the bed?"

The footsteps stopped in front of her, she then felt a hand touch her right shoulder, slowly trail down her arm and once it found her hand grasp it.

"Yes. That's right." Anthony said. He sounded happy. He then explained, slowly, "You could hear my footsteps approaching you, couldn't you? Okay, know how I knew where you were in the room? I listened to your voice. Just because you can't see doesn't mean you can't take in what is going on around you."

Pink then heard Anthony take a few more deliberate steps. Ones done loud enough to ensure she heard them. And she felt Anthony pull on her right hand, guiding her forward after him.

What must they look like? To someone watching them. But then, Pink considered, the hand pulling her forward, it didn't matter in the sightless world how they looked. What mattered was touch, smell and sound. No one would ever know how they appeared. Would never see Anthony stomping his feet in front of her, see her with a pillow case on her head.

So as his hand tugged she followed him, within his shared sightless world, Anthony saying as they walked, "We're going to my closet. I want to show you something else. Listening is just one part of navigating about."

There was a term she had once heard, wasn't there? 'The blind leading the blind.'. It was used to describe someone clueless or hindered leading someone else just as clueless and hindered. As the older boy's hand gently guided her along and forward, Anthony making each and every one of his actions deliberately loud or slow so as to let Pink catch them or understand them, Pink decided that phrase was completely ignorant and inaccurate. She may be hindered and hampered right now.. but Anthony was not. This was his world and he knew how to navigate about it. So she had no fears about him leading her wherever he wanted her to go. Whoever had made up 'the blind leading the blind' was just dumb and didn't know what they were talking about.

The pink haired girl felt Anthony's footsteps slow to a shuttle, then stop altogether. A knock was heard, of someone rapping on wood. She felt Anthony's right hand gently guide her over to stand by his side, and then both his hands run down her arms to draw her hands up and forward, gently placing them on a wooden surface in front of them.

"Your closet?" Pink queried, running her hands up and over what felt like a wooden door, the grain of wood rolling under her finger tips. "But how did you know where it was so easily?"

"I remembered." Anthony said. "I've been in this room for two days now. And I wasn't about to spend them all in bed. So I explored, I felt around, I remembered."

Pink next felt Anthony's hands come up and gently guide her own away from the closet door, then there was the creek of hinges moving and the slight movement of air before her face. She knew that it must haven been Anthony opening the closet. She heard rustling within, something clicking a few times, then once again she felt Anthony's hands on her own. They were pressing something cold, thin and cylindrical into her hands. It felt like a thin plastic stick.

"This.." Anthony said, his voice closer to her hear, "Is my cane. I use it to feel along the ground. To feel for obstacles and determine the layout of a place. Try it.. wave it about in front of you as you walk. Use it to search for things in your way."

She felt along the length of the cane she had been handed, hands eventually finding what seemed to be a rubber handle which she wrapped her fingers around. Turning about, the pink haired girl held the cane before her and swished it through the air.

Whack.

She felt it impact with something. Which must mean she was doing this properly. Though she wasn't quite clear how Anthony worked out what he was feeling with the cane. So she swished it through the air again, at leg height

Whack.

"I can feel I'm hitting something." Pink said excitably after the second swing.

"Yes.. that something would be me." Anthony replied dryly, his voice carrying from in front of her.

Pink paused at this, and then started to giggle. Sure, she should feel bad about hitting her friend. Even by accident. But it was just one of those events that simply seemed funny. So she laughed. Happy to hear Anthony was soon joining her.

"Let me try again." She said between the giggles. "You might want to take a step back."

"Okay. Just be gentle. Delicate sweeps with the cane. You don't need to attack any obstacles in your way." Anthony suggested, sounding amused all the while. "Use the cane to get the feel of your environment. Remember what is where in your head and move around it."

So Pink tried again, within the blackness remembering what the room looked like. Doctor Anderson had said she had an eye for detail, hadn't he? She was always good at remembering things.. well.. most of the time.

So she remembered the room. How it had looked. The colors that made it up, that defined a wall from a floor. The subtle play of shadows against whites and greys and blues that offset everything.

She concentrated, using her talented eye to recall it all.

And..

She was doing it all wrong, wasn't she? She was using the memories of what she had seen with her eyes to help her now that she couldn't rely on them. That wasn't how Anthony did it. He didn't get to take a quick mental, visual picture each time he walked into a room and then rely on it. He used his cane as his eyes. Or, as his hands more correctly.

It was harder than she expected. She had never imagined living in a world without colors, but there was such a place, wasn't there? Anthony had taken her there, into his world. But she could never really take him to experience her rainbow land could she? She'd never be able to show him a sunrise, and that made her sad.

She reached her hands forward, felt Anthony before her and after feeling down the length of his arm, as he seemed to do, she found his hands and placed the cane into it. The girl then reached up and slid the pillow case away from her eyes and off her head.

It was like stepping out of one world and into another. As her eyes blinked rapidly as bright light streamed back into them. As she adjusted her mind set to living in a world without sight to living in a world with sight.

The pink haired girl thought to herself that the sightless world was much more tactile than the seeing world. In the seeing world she saw with her eyes, in the unseeing world she had to see with her hands. No wonder Anthony was always holding hers.

She gave the pillow case back to Anthony, so that he could tell she had removed it from her own eyes and had left his world to rejoin her own. Though she did keep her hands on his, resting over his white cane, as one final connection between her world and his.

"Why are you here?" Pink said suddenly, looking up at the taller boy. She knew why she was here in the land of the lost. It was because she could not remember. Because she would not. But why was Anthony?

"Why am I here? Right now?" He repeated, smiling a bit self-consciously. With a shrug he admitted, "Me and my mom are having another one of our never ending butting of heads. I'm too independent, she is too overprotective. It's a situation where neither of us will get what we want. So I'm taking a bit of a break from things and staying here. Doctor Anderson suggested it."

"I don't have a mom." Pink said, simply and casually, as one would comment that it was a nice day today. Or their shoe lace was undone.

"Oh, I'm sorry?" Anthony offered. He sounded uncertain.

"Well, I don't remember having a mom. I mean I might.. But I don't know, I'm pretty certain I don't have one. I just feel it.."

Anthony bit his lips, frowning a little as he appeared to be considering this. Or what words to say next as he was quiet. Eventually he said, seeming a little unsure of himself, "But you do have somewhere you belong. You have friends. Lala for example.. Maybe you live with her?"

Pink shook her head, her pink pigtails flicking about her shoulders as she so often liked them to do, "No, let's not talk about that. Not this afternoon. I don't want to remember just yet." She had had enough remembering. Or reminding that she wasn't brave. "Let's play instead. As this is where I belong, right here and right now." She grinned, "I still have colors I need to tell you about. Next there's yellow.."

"But.."

"No, Trust me, you'll love yellow. And we still have the whole afternoon ahead of us."

* * *

Henry Anderson sat at his desk within his private office, at the end of the day, holding a strand of hair up to his desk lamp. It was pink. Which to the casual observer wasn't too surprising. Just a glance from a distance and one could tell the hair was pink.

No, the interesting thing was that the entire strand of hair was pink. Even the root. Until now everyone was under the belief that the girl's hair had been dyed. It certainly was uncommon for a preteen to be walking around with what looked like a punk hair color. But then again, it was uncommon for a girl who looked healthy, clean and cared for to be found lying in a coma in an alley. Dressed in what appeared to be a pink party dress. So no one had looked too closely at her hair. Until now.

At that thought Henry Anderson's eyes lifted up to the bright pink party dress with rainbow striped sleeves that hung on a coat hanger on his wall. And to the clean pink boots that showed almost no wear on the soles, which were placed neatly on the floor beneath the dress.

He considered briefly that actually they weren't technically rainbow stiped sleeves.. they were colored as a supernumerary rainbow. Colored in the pastel colored bands that are seen in a rare type of rainbow that appears along side the main rainbow.

The clothes looked new and expensive. This girl was certainly no street kid. The label on the inside of the dress simply said 'Tickled Pink'. At first the general assumption was that 'Tickled Pink' was the brand name of the clothes. But now Anderson was not so sure. Everyone had assumed this child's hair had been dyed and look at how mistaken they were about that.

Pink hair..

Henry's eyes went back to the strand of hair between his fingertips, which he had obtained this morning as Nurse Elliott and himself had cleaned and changed the clothes of the crayon covered girl that was dead to the world. 'Pink' didn't stir at all as they cleaned her, her room and changed her clothes and bedding. So it was simple enough to pluck a few strands of hair from her head.

Nobody had pink hair, at least naturally. At least, no cases he was ever aware of. Hair was colored due to two different pigments. The pink and red hued pigment pheomelanin and the dark pigment neuromelain. Red hair is produced due to an individual's hair having a greater concentration of pheomelanin and less neuromelain than other hair types.

Henry Anderson considered that pheomelainin could certainly color areas of the skin pink. Perhaps this girl had a rare genetic trait where her pheomelainin levels in her hair colored it pink?

Perhaps, he thought to himself, laying the strand of hair inside his desk draw atop an almost photo like drawing of a sunrise, one done in crayon.

Time would tell. He had left 'Pink' up to her own devices today, after she had disappeared from her room and found the boy she had befriended. But tomorrow was another day.

Tomorrow he would order more in depth physical tests than the ones they gave her when she was first admitted. Blood work, MRIs, cognitive reaction. The list of tests were long. And would be until he worked out the puzzle that was this girl. It was the IQ test he would be paying close attention to. She certainly didn't conduct herself like an eight year old should. If he had to guess he'd approximate her mental age at about fourteen.

But, Henry Anderson reminded himself as he turned off his desk lamp and stood, that would be tomorrow. For now it was after hours and he had a life outside these hospital's walls.

Anderson left his office, turning the main light off and closing and locking the door behind him as he left. As twilight fell within his office, unnoticed, the star shaped pouch of the all pink belt of the dress that hung within glowed slightly. Faintly; just at the seams of the fabric. Within the pouch, undiscovered and forgotten, a solitary pink star sprinkle softly sparkled.

It was dimmer than it had been last night. And last night it was dimmer than it was the night before that. In fact the star sprinkle hardly held any of the brilliance it once did.

But it glimmered all the same, with as much pink brilliance as it could manage. All the while unaware that here in this place as each day passed it's pink light was slowly dying.


	6. Interlude 2

Chapter 6: Interlude 2

It was dark and cold and she was wet. The wind blew right through her soaked clothing and she shivered, hugging herself to try and keep what warmth she still had. Not for the first time she called out, "Please, I want to go home."

She was too young for this. She had wanted to help, but it was too much for her. This land was too far gone.

Wisp looked about hopefully, waiting for Lady Brite to take her away from all this. But the air around her remained silent. There was no one here for her. She was alone.

Stepping further away from the No Return River, the river that had carried her to this rocky bank, Wisp gasped in surprise as she almost stumbled over something small and swaddled in a white blanket. "A baby.." she whispered, carefully kneeling down to take the child into her arms.

Incredibly the pink haired, fair skinned baby was contently sleeping, seemingly oblivious to the cold wind that was still billowing against them both. Unaware of what a dangerous place she was presently in. Wisp wondered to herself who on Earth could leave a baby out in the open in a place like this. And as she looked down into the innocent, defenceless face any thought of her own problems and worries disappeared. She couldn't abandon this land. More specifically, she couldn't abandon this child.

"You'll be alright." Wisp said softly, bringing the baby's cheek up against her own and holding the small child close to her. No matter what happened she would protect her.

Suddenly the world spun and changed around Wisp. The bank of the No Return River was gone and instead she was standing atop of the King of Shadow's castle. Up here the wind was even colder. So cold it seemed to chill her right to the bone. The black, tattered robed form of The Shadow King loomed before her and in his clawed hand he held the baby.

Lightning crashed behind The Shadow King and he began to advance on Wisp, his glowing yellows eyes glowering at her beneath his dark hood. Then, miraculously, the baby within his hand began to glow and change shape. One minute the evil one held a tiny, pink haired baby, the next he held Tickled Pink.

"No.." is all Wisp could say. This wasn't how it was meant to go. The baby was meant to change into the Sphere of Light and give her the power she needed to change this terrible dark land into something better. This was all wrong.

"Rainbow!" Tickled Pink screamed from within the Shadow King's grasp, "Help me!"

Wisp reached down to the star on the buckle of her Color Belt and tried pressing it to activate a rainbow. But nothing happened. Without the Sphere of Light she was powerless. She could do nothing. She had promised to protect the pink haired child.. and she had failed.

Tickled Pink cried out again and all Wisp could do was watch as the King of Shadows loomed over her, reaching down to seize Wisp in his other hand.

As his withered, clawed fingers closed around her Wisp's vision faded to black and Rainbow Brite awoke from the dream within her bed in Colour Castle, awash in sweat.


	7. True Nature

Chapter 7: True Nature

Hooves cracked against stone. She could feel Starlite's back muscles tensing with each galloping step. Rainbow Brite held onto Starlite's rainbow colored mane all the tighter, not for the first time wondering how much further up the mountains they would have to go. She wasn't usually one to be scared of heights. But now that her Color Belt no longer worked, if Starlite misjudged a single step along these narrow paths there would be nothing she could do to stop their resulting fall. They were so high up the mounftains now, Violet Valley and Cloudy Canyon visible far below them.

"Hold on!" she heard Starlite shout as he continued to sped towards a wide rocky crevice in the fpath they had all too quickly come across, one that threatened to stop any further progress. As Starlite galloped towards the large fissure Rainbow unashamedly squeezed her eyes shut so as not to look down as he did so.

As she felt Starlite's muscles tense hard again, and heard him grunt with effort as he lunged into a jump, Rainbow Brite briefly and somewhat guilty thought that perhaps she should have asked Stormy if she could ride Skydancer on this quest. He was more familiar with the areas bordering Cloudy Canyon and could still fly. But, that would have opened a whole disgruntled can of worms for both Stormy and Starlite.. one that she couldn't bare to deal with right now, at a time when everyone's emotions were already on edge. It was bad enough when she had asked Stormy if she could ride Skydancer after the horse race when Starlite and Oynx had been horsenapped. And then there was Starlite catching her riding Sunriser when they had gone to rescue them both, galloping off in a huff.

Sunriser.  
And that's what brought them up here, into the mountains. Sunriser. The wild horse of a different color that was as close to Tickled Pink as Starlite was to herself. Well, almost wild, Rainbow thought to herself. Eyes still shut as she couldn't bare to see Starlite thunder along the perilous rocky path any longer.

Once Sunriser had been truly wild. Never letting anyone ride her or try to tame her. Preferring these isolated mountains to Kid or Sprite company. But that had all changed when Tickled Pink began to befriend Sunriser.

Rainbow considered that it was so typical of Pink. The other Kids had told her that Sunriser was wild and didn't want friends. That it wasn't possible. But weeks after Tickled Pink had began heading into the mountains to try and befriend Sunriser it should have been with little surprise that Tickled Pink had wound up on Sunriser's back. It should have been with little surprise.. for those that knew exactly how contagious Tickled Pink's giggly good nature and friendship was. But still there were more than one Kid who had to pick their jaw up off the floor at the initial sight of the Pink Kid riding along on the Pink horse.

Another Kid if they were in her position, such as Red Butler, might have boasted about it. That they had tamed the elusive Sunriser. But not Tickled Pink. She had remained adamant that her and Sunriser were friends. That Sunriser didn't belong to her or anyone else and never would.  
And perhaps that's why it was indeed Tickled Pink that Sunriser had bonded with.

Though she was wild, slowly over time Sunriser had began to lose her wild instincts and nature as she interacted with others. Mainly with Tickled Pink and Starlite at first, nervously back tracking and galloping for the mountains if anyone else got too close. But slowly this instinct faded further and trust began to surface towards the others in Rainbow Land too.

As the shackles of wild instincts were slowly replaced with the clarity of a calm thought, it was then that Sunriser had began to talk. At least, that's what Tickled Pink had secretly related to her. . late one night within Rainbow's room as the two sat and drank hot chocolate together. Tickled Pink having come for equine advice due to Rainbow's experiences with Starlite. It stood to reason, Rainbow had considered. Sunriser did seem to be the same species of horse as Starlite. So there was no reason why Sunriser shouldn't be able to speak as Starlite did. It was just a matter of environment, she guessed. When one was alone, you had no one to talk to. So you didn't need to develop or work on such a skill. But now that Sunriser had Tickled Pink..

Though Sunriser had not spoken to any of the other Kids as of yet, Rainbow Brite kept Tickled Pink's secret. Telling the Color Kid of Pink to let Sunriser take it at her own pace. If she felt comfortable enough, Sunriser would speak to the others. Till then, just take each moment as it was. Treasuring that Sunriser was sharing such a special gift with her.

But it was now that Rainbow needed to break that trust and have Sunriser to speak to her instead of Tickled Pink. Rainbow Brite needed to find out what had happened on that day at Pink Prarie. On the day that Pink had disappeared and the shockwave had rippled through both the Spectrum and Rainbow Land.

On that day Rainbow had raced towards Pink Prarie on Starlite; fearing what she would find. But when she got there all she was met with was the sight of Sunriser within a steel cage, gone wild. Rainbow had quickly pulled down the cage with Starlite's assistance, but as soon as she was free Sunriser had bolted. Any civilisation Tickled Pink had imparted on Sunriser had seemed to have completely vanished. There was no recognition when Rainbow Brite had stood before the caged Sunriser. All that could be seen in Sunriser's eyes was wildness and fear, kicking at the steel bars of the cage.

"We're fast running out of mountain." Starlite called back to her, ascending higher along the rocky, circling path. Galloping legs leaving him soaring over rocky ground for a few seconds, almost sadly alluding to what he had lost now that neither he or she could fly.

"Don't worry, we'll catch her this time." Rainbow shouted back, her eyes now open so that she could peer for the sight of the horse of a different color. The horse who knew the mountains of Rainbow Land better than almost anyone and had so far eluded Starlite and herself each time they tried to track and pin her down. After all, they were chasing her on her home turf.

And there further ahead Rainbow Brite saw her, galloping around another bend in the upward circling path. The burnt red form of Sunriser who was now truly a horse of a different color.

It was something that Shy Violet couldn't yet fully explain, saying she needed the Color Console operating in order to properly study the Spectrum. But ever since the shockwave the color pink didn't exist anymore, not in Rainbow Land. Shy Violet hypothesising it was because the Specturm had somehow been damaged. Whether the shockwave was the cause of the damage or as a result of it remained to be seen.

But Color crystals that had once been pink were now either red or white. The same went for everything else that was once colored pink. Roses, Sprites and.. as they had seen, even horses.

And Tickled Pink? The Color Kid that was connected into the pink frequency of the Spectrum?  
Rainbow felt her heart lurch, and not due to the bumpy ride. It lurched at the worried and fearful thoughts that began to trickle through her mind at the thought of Tickled Pink's disappearance. Rainbow Brite doing all that she could to push the thoughts away and calm her emotion filled heart. Focusing instead on the here and now.

Rainbow had to find out where Tickled Pink was and she had to find out what had happened on that day in Pink Prairie. Failure was not an option. And until she found, everything else was just unproven worries and speculation.

She told herself that repeatedly.

And she would not let any doubts or worries that she had no evidence for consume her. If Tickled Pink was hurt or hiding somewhere, she needed Rainbow Brite. And Rainbow Brite wouldn't let another day pass without finding out what had happened. And the only person who knew was Sunriser.

Rounding the bend that Sunriser had disappeared behind, Starlite reared up suddenly, forelegs raising up into the air while he tried to come to an abrupt, sliding halt. Rainbow cried out at the sudden jolting stop, her hands clutching to Starlite's mane tightly and knees squeezing against Starlite's back in order to keep her upon his back.

As Starlite brought his front legs down, shifting his weight from left to right as he corrected his footings, Rainbow Brite was able to see what had caused Starlite to stop in his tracks. They had arrived at a dead end. The mountain path they had been galloping up and up on had finally reached an end in the form of a cliff peak. There was no where else to go except over and off the side of the mountain or back the way they came. And presently the wild and scared Sunriser was at the very edge of the cliff. Eyeing her and Starlite nervously, ears pricked forward and tail tucked as she scampered left and right slightly, as if searching for path away to freedom.

What worried Rainbow most right now was that the only path to freedom for Sunriser now seemed to be straight down.. she and Starlite would have to tread carefully.

If only her belt still worked.. But at present any rainbows that she tried to produce with it didn't survive for long. They twisted and writhed about; like a fish out of water futilely gasping for breath, before disappearing in a matter of seconds. And it had been that way ever since the Color Console had exploded.

But her belt's troubles weren't due to the Color Console being in many shattered pieces. Shy Violet said the trouble with rainbows was because of the probable damage to the Spectrum. Funny, that after so long, her Color Belt was now the exactly the same as it was when she first found it.

The Color Belt was hers indeed, but there was a time when it wasn't. She remembered when she first came to Rainbow Land, when it was a land under the rule of the King of Shadows. The King of Shadows had defeated the previous protector of Rainbow Land, Lady Brite, and with assistance from Murky Dismal stolen the Color Belt away from her. And Rainbow Land had gone from being a land of joy and color to a land of despair and hopelessness.

There were no colors in Rainbow Land during that time and the Earth suffered equally. The skies of Earth had gone from always blue to always grey. Buildings slowly faded from white to grey. And even the rivers of the Earth slowly changed from blue to murky brown. Factories upon factories pumped out blankets of smoke and smog, natural beauty was suppressed under gritty grey polluted particles, and worse still the people of the Earth began to simply not care. 'The Industrial revolution' they had called it on Earth. It was everything Murky Dismal had dreamed of.

And then she had been summoned. With the last of her powers Lady Brite had called to Wisp, asking for help. Rainbow considered that she was so young back then and had hardly realised how difficult the task ahead of her would be. She was so naïve, she had even brought a packed suitcase with her when she had been brought to the corrupted Rainbow Land. Still, even though she had not expected how difficult it would all be, she had persisted in her duty to remove the King of Shadows' rule over Rainbow Land. And Lady Brite had, in an indirect way, led her to where the Color Belt had washed up years ago from when the Shadow King had thrown it in the No Return river.

And from that point on the Color Belt had been hers. To use and to protect. As the belt was so important to both Rainbow Land and to the Earth. It could make or break either world, depending on how it was used. And who used it.

Except.. she had failed in protecting this land and one of the Kids. Rainbow's nightmare from the previous night coming back to unsettle her.

"Easy Sunriser.." She said in a soft, soothing voice, sliding herself off of Starlite to stand at his side, daring not to approach too much further towards the other horse just yet. Cornered wild animals were unpredictable and, by looking into Sunriser's white showing eyes, Rainbow got the impression the horse in front of her was indeed completely wild.

No words came from the burnt red horse. Instead Sunriser emitted apprehensive nickers as she nervously stepped this way and that, trying to determine if there was a way around the two. If the burnt red horse heard or understood Rainbow Brite's words she gave no indication.

"It's me, Rainbow Brite and Starlite.. you remember us don't you Sunriser?" Rainbow said, trying her best to coax a less petrified reaction out of the horse, "You let me ride you once, about a year ago.. so that we could find Starlite when he had disappeared. You remember that? I was so grateful for your help. That you let me ride you. And we found him, remember?"

While she spoke, Rainbow heard Starlite actually scoff. Which was, to be honest, a little shocking. Everyone has one or two negative personality aspects. And Starlite, although being incredibly brave and athletic and loyal, was somewhat egotistical. Which wasn't always a bad thing, Rainbow Brite had considered a few times. As during times of crisis self belief and self determination were important things to have. It meant you wouldn't easily give up. Believing you could persevere no matter what was thrown at you sometimes made all the difference.  
So although it was sometimes a good trait to have, other times Starlite's ego tended to result in him getting jealous a little too easy.

She knew this about her wonderful horse, and accepted it. It was just the way he was. Just the same as Twink was sometimes a little too bossy towards the other sprites. But still.. she had expected more of Starlite. At a time like this to be scoffing as she tried to calm Sunriser down and get through to her with soothing words.. it was disappointing.

"Sunriser.. I need to talk to you. It is very important. We don't mean you any harm. Please.. Just for a moment.. It is so important you speak to us."

Rainbow Brite opened her mouth again, about to try to further calm Sunriser, when Starlite again scoffed. Making the audible blowing of air out through his nostrils. This time Rainbow Brite turned to look at him, eyebrows arched high in an expression of surprise and non verbal 'what do you think you are doing?'. For days they had chased Sunriser to try and find out where Tickled Pink was. And now Starlite was acting like this.

But, Rainbow realised as she turned, Starlite wasn't looking at her. His eyes were focused on Sunriser. And again he made the sound she had assumed was him scoffing. The blowing out of air from his nostrils.

At the third time Starlite emitted this blowing sound Sunriser's agitation visually decreased slightly and she focused her attention on Starlite, eventually nervously making the same sound herself that Starlite had been making. Blowing out air from her nose.

Starlite responded in turn with the blowing sound again, adding a small nicker to the end. He lowered his head and whispered to Rainbow, as if in explanation, "It's equine communication.. I'm conveying we're friends. Try again. Slowly."

And so Rainbow Brite repeated her words to Sunriser. Looking for a response. But still Sunriser's eyes looked at her without recognition, the other horse staring at her as if she was some type of alien.

For days they had been trying to find the one time pink horse. And now that they did, after so much effort and hoping that all the answers they needed would be discovered, there was nothing. Finally Rainbow's voice broke, desperation in her voice, a million worries from the past couple of days welling up within her, "Sunriser, /please/. We need to find out what happened to Tickled Pink."

Maybe it was the desperation and pleading tone in Rainbow's voice. Or maybe it was mentioning the Pink Color Kid's name. But suddenly the wildness left Sunriser's eyes and recognition stirred within her. The burnt red horse stopped her nervous trotting from side to side, looking for some way of escape, and instead lowered her head, ears back, stepping towards the two.

And Sunriser spoke.  
"Rainbow Brite.."

It was the first time Rainbow had heard Sunriser's voice. Her voice was high and soft, speaking with the same lofty, regal rolling accent that Starlite spoke with. Of a voice that could so easily and effortlessly transform into rolling neighs. And there was sadness in the voice. Heartbreaking sadness.

"Rainbow Brite." The horse said again, moving so that her long face was lowered in front of Rainbow's, "She is gone.. And I am sorry for I could not save her. For she chose to protect me instead of herself. I tried to get her to safety, trick her in doing so because I knew she wouldn't leave me any other way. But in the end she would not. Friendship. Tickled Pink gave me a gift that no one ever had before. And now I wish she never had. For if she had not she would still be here."

Rainbow raised her hand and gently placed it atop Sunriser's nose.

The onetime pink horse was shaking.

"It's okay Sunriser.." Rainbow said softly, rubbing her nose, "Where ever she is gone, we'll find her. Tell me what happened, please, I need to know."

Sunriser shook her head away from Rainbow's hand and emitted an angry whinny. "She cannot be found, because she is /gone/." The sadness in her voice now contained anger. And Rainbow was surprised to find that Starlite had now stepped closer to her. She could feel him at her side, his flank just touching her. Tensed.

"Murky caught her in a machine that sprayed her with a rainbow. One that ran on stolen color crystals. He said he could return her to the Spectrum with it. She tried to fight him with pink star sprinkles. But when the rainbow from his machine hit them there was a burst of white light and the sprinkles were gone. I could not protect her, as Murky had me caged. I could not protect her, as Tickled Pink would not leave me. And so he sprayed her with his rainbow and she faded away into white light. All because of 'friendship'."

"Sunriser.." Rainbow said softly, moving her had back towards the burnt red horse. But Sunriser wanted none of it. Stomping her foot warningly at Rainbow. To which Starlite beside Rainbow stomped in response, back at the burnt red horse. Sunriser began to step back at this, ears still lowered, but after a few feet back the burnt red horse suddenly launched into a gallop, barrelling at the two. Rainbow Brite felt Starlite's mouth at her collar, his teeth grasping it and pulling Rainbow back out of the horse's path as Sunriser burst past. Galloping back down the mountain path.

Starlite gently placed her back on the ground after Sunriser had disappeared and reassuringly nuzzled her shoulder, as horses were want to do, saying to Rainbow Brite who was somewhat shaken by this sudden sign of aggression from Sunriser, "Don't hold it against her, Rainbow.. you need to remember Sunriser has been wild for far longer than she has been 'tame'. She is more wild than either me or well.. even Skydancer. Which is saying something." And her rainbow maned horse sighed, looking after where the burnt red horse had run, "All I'm saying is, sometimes it is hard to ignore one's instincts. We're horses, not humans. We may walk and talk, but in our blood is still the desire to gallop and fight or flight. To buck off anything that is on our backs. And with everything that has happened at the moment it is understandable that Sunriser might fall back to more instinctual behaviour. I know I may appear egotistical at times.. I hear the other Color Kids talking about my boasting. But it is who I am, Rainbow. Rather it is the way of my species, it is in my blood. I'm a stallion.. It is how we stallions are meant to act. When you are in a herd, when you are the lead stallion of a herd, you are meant to be the Alpha. Ready to challenge all those who come against you and are around you, to ensure they know full well you are the dominant, superior one."

Starlite nuzzled her shoulder again, showing his affection to the person he let ride him, and said, "All I'm saying is, blood instinct is a difficult thing to ignore. So don't hold Sunriser's actions against her.."

Rainbow looked up at her horse, silent for a moment. She had never heard him talk so candidly about the differences between herself and him. That there were major differences. In her mind Starlite was just a person in a different form, the form of a horse. She had never thought that he might feel things differently to her.. feel different impulses. That at times he was acting contrary to his nature.

Though it did now explain why Starlite had been spending so much time with Tickled Pink and Sunriser once Pink had started riding Sunriser.

He had been teaching Sunriser how to be like he was.

Rainbow hugged her horse, who she now considered may have never been boasting when he said he was exceptional to all other horses, and said, "We need to get back to Color Castle and tell Shy Violet what Sunriser said."

Oh the ride back Rainbow Brite had a lot to think about. And worry about. Of what had happened to Tickled Pink.

Things in Color Castle had been chaotic with the disappearance of Tickled Pink. All the Color Kids had been running through a gauntlet of emotions. From worry to anger to sadness and tears. It was the not knowing where she was, and the disappearance of the color pink that had scared all of them. Each of them were taking it hard, and Rainbow had done what she could to comfort them. To warn them that they still didn't know what had happened to Tickled Pink. Everything was just a guess, she kept reminding them and herself, so don't think the worst.

But now her answer to what had happened to Tickled Pink rested with one word. 'Murky'.

Murky Dismal. The only adult in all of Rainbow Land. What he lacked in mass the diminutive man more than made up in with the size of the chip on his shoulder. Murky hated colors and hated the joy and happiness that colors brought and would stop at nothing to stop her and the Kids from spreading the colors through Rainbow Land and Earth.  
There really wasn't any low he wouldn't stoop to. The man was a sociopath. Literally. He fit all the common requirements to be confirmed with an anti-social disorder.

After all, he failed to conform to social norms. He displayed repeated acts of deceitfulness, constant irritability and aggressiveness. He also possessed reckless disregard for the safety of others and lacked remorse to acts he had performed that hurt others.

All traits of a sociopath.

It was Murky's disregard for the safety of others and his lack of remorse which were the most frightening aspects of this disturbed individual. And one of the reasons Sprites and Kids fled when he appeared in Rainbow Land. Truth be told there were multiple times that either her or the Kids had almost died due to the actions of Murky. Such as the time Red Butler and Brian were trapped in a rocky cavern, filling up with water from the Rainbow River. All the while Murky watched the two struggling swimmers from a safe, high vantage point. Gleefully waiting for the moment where they tired and couldn't swim any more and sunk beneath the waters.

There was also the time she had been trapped in the Monster Murk bottle and Murky had accidentally dropped it into the Rainbow River. As the bottle was swept away Murky was filled with joy that both the bottle and herself would be dashed apart by the rocks in the Rainbow Rapids.

Yes, Murky was not beyond allowing others to die due to his schemes. In fact he quite often hoped they would. The man was a sociopath and if he had caused Tickled Pink's disappearance, Rainbow worried what this meant for Pink.

They were silent the rest of the ride home, eventually returning to Color Castle. As they arrived at the castle doors Rainbow Brite slid herself off of Starlite and stroked gently down his neck, feeling Starlite's fine white hair run between her fingers, "Thank you Starlite, as always. Thank you for, well, being who you are.."

Her horse responded with a shake of his head, "You go see Shy Violet. There's more important things than me that need to be discussed. Don't worry about Sunriser. I'll go back to the mountains and see what I can do for her. She may respond better if it is just me. You just concentrate on Tickled Pink."

Rainbow Brite gave Starlite a worried nod and turned to hurry in the castle doors.

* * *

Shy Violet was asleep at the almost reconstructed Color Console, her forehead resting on the Console's keypad. As was the norm over the last couple of days. Well, her sleeping wasn't the norm. Rather, her working herself to exhaustion and collapsing into sleep was. Rainbow felt she should have said something. Encouraged Shy Violet to actually take a break and get a good night's rest. But, guiltily, she hadn't. Worried too much about what had happened to both Tickled Pink and the Spectrum Rainbow Brite had turned a blind eye, wanting the Color Console to be up and functioning just as much as Shy Violet did.

Rainbow felt guilty, but also grateful. Her relationships with the Kids of Rainbow Land were as different and varied as the colors of the rainbow themself. For example with Lala Orange Rainbow always found herself always engaging in more feminine types of discussions and activities. Fashion, Make up, boys. With Patty O'Green and Buddy Blue the interactions tended to fall towards adventuring and hiking through Rainbow Land.

And Shy Violet?  
Shy Violet was in many ways Rainbow's advisor. The same way in which Rainbow Brite would often have Kids in her room, late at night, discussing their problems over mugs of hot chocolate, Rainbow often found herself heading to Shy Violet's room at night for a talk. When there was something about Rainbow Land she didn't understand, or a problem that was too complex for her to get her head around. Shy Violet just seemed to know.. everything. Or if she didn't, Violet would say she would investigate and find out. Heading to her library of books and texts.

So Rainbow Brite was grateful beyond words to her scientific advisor for the sacrifices she had made over the last few days. Without Shy Violet Rainbow didn't know what she would do.

"Violet.." Rainbow said softly, gently shaking the shoulder of the sleeping girl. "Violet.. I'm sorry.. but I need you. Can you wake up?"

The great hall was empty, apart from her and Violet. The other Kids were either out searching Rainbow Land for Tickled Pink or just simply away. Away and dealing with their feelings of sorrow and fear about the loss of pink and Pink as best they could. Rainbow had been so busy with tracking down Sunriser that she hadn't been able to give each Kid as much time to comfort them or reassure them as she had wanted. Another thing she felt guilty about. But Rainbow Brite had been comforted that at this time, the Kids had been there for each other. She had seen Red Butler and Lala Orange off together. Patty O'Green with Buddy Blue. And Canary Yellow, Moonglo and Indigo together.

Red and Orange comforting each other, along with Green and Blue pairing off she had expected. But Canary Yellow, Moonglo and Indigo grouping themselves together was something new. At first Rainbow Brite had thought it was simply because they had no one else. The 'dating' Kids having gone off on their own. But, from what moments Rainbow was able to spare to sit with and talk with the different groups, she realised that it was something different.  
Canary Yellow and Indigo were vastly different people. In some ways the outgoing personality of Canary clashed with the sensitive, quiet personality of Indigo. But Rainbow realised that quiet, nocturnal Moonglo seemed to bridge the personality divide between the two.

It was easy to overlook Moonglo. What with her working in a completely opposite schedule to everyone else. She was the night shift. Disappearing to bed just as the others were getting up. And vice verse.

But Tickled Pink never did overlook her. Every day she made a concentrated, special effort to catch up with Moonglo. To take her to breakfast and chat and giggle away with her. And Rainbow Brite knew how much it meant to Moonglo. How much she loved Tickled Pink's friendship.

The disappearance of Tickled Pink was upsetting Moonglo most out of all the Kids. And Rainbow Brite could see that Moonglo saw a lot of Tickled Pink within Canary Yellow. Her laughter, her care free nature. And in Indigo Moonglo saw someone simular to herself. Quiet and sensitive. Artistic. Together the three seemed to mesh. Which was good, as she didn't want any Kid feeling isolated and alone right now. Which could so easily happen to Moonglo.

The brown eyes of Shy Violet opened sleepily, looking back at Rainbow Brite. The purple Color Kid's light purple hair had fallen out of its usual bun and fallen into straggling locks over Shy Violet's forehead and eyes. The Color Kid moved her band aid covered hands to brush the hair aside and blinked a few times, "Oh, Rainbow.. you're back.." she said groggily.

There was a few moments of silence as Shy Violet attempted to wake up and get all of her neurons firing. But when she did, the firing neurons were like an explosion.

"Rainbow, you've returned!" she repeated, eyes focused, hands moving to steady her glasses and align them just right, "I've had success at last! The Color Console, it is repaired." There was a pause, and a wave of hands in the air, "Well, repaired is not a word I would use. Repatched is perhaps a more accurate metaphor. As I'm afraid many of the advanced functions of the Color Console have not yet been restored. But those of which the highest necessity, namely connecting us into the Spectrum, should be available. At least I assume that is the highest necessity. Though when examining the Spectrum we may indeed find that there are higher wants. But given the limited time constraints we have we must.."

Rainbow raised her hand, giving Shy Violet a stop gesture. She didn't mean to be rude, and she knew Shy Violet would know Rainbow wasn't trying to be rude, just sometimes Violet could speak forever about a topic, if you let her.

Rainbow summarised, "So we can look at what damage has been done to the Spectrum, yes? And work out how to fix it?"

Violet gave a sheepish grin, knowing full well that sometimes she let her enthusiasm of knowledge runneth away with both her and her mouth, and replied, "Yes, that is correct, Rainbow."

"Good. Then start the Console. I need to tell you what Sunriser had to say."

* * *

Canary Yellow sat in the fields of the Yellow Plains, on her own. Sitting and looking at a lemon tree. Letting the ankle high grass blow and tickle against her legs. Idly rolling a lemon around in her hands, mind drifting in her melancholy mood. Remembering.

She remembered the day she and Tickled Pink had watched Red Butler and Lala Orange sneak away one afternoon. And, having nothing better to do. Or at least nothing that sounded more fun than creeping after the Kids of Orange and Red, Tickled Pink and her had followed them.

Canary Yellow remembered..  
She was there in the Yellow Plains, crouching behind a bush with Tickled Pink at her side. The two giggling to each other as they kept peeking through the foliage to spy on Red Butler and Lala Orange. The Kids of Red and Orange were sitting beneath a lemon tree, holding hands and chatting softly to each other.

It was hard to say who started it first, as when Tickled Pink and Canary Yellow got together they were a bad influence on each other. Each feeding off the other's laughter and jokes. But one of them, either Pink or Canary, started making kissy-kissy sounds from behind the bush, pulling fun at Red and Lala's intimate moment. The sounds were soft at first so as to ensure Red Butler and Lala Orange didn't hear. But of course then the other bush hidden Kid responded back, making slightly louder kissy sounds in Red and Lala's direction, in between giggles.

Soon the two were giggling and making playful kissy kissy sounds loud enough that Red Butler and Lala Orange knew they were not alone. Red was on his feet instantly, cheeks blushing red and racing over to the bush from which the commotion was sounding, throwing a fallen lemon that he scooped up off the ground. All the while Lala Orange laughing at the scene, of Pink and Yellow squealing and trying to run but finding they couldn't because they were laughing too hard, ending up just falling to the ground instead. Of Red Butler attempting to teach the nosey duo a lesson by trying get them to eat one of the fallen lemons, in a very older brother type fashion. Causing Pink and Canary to squeal and laugh all the harder as they tried to crawl away.

Canary Yellow smiled sadly, and remembered.. rolling the lemon in her hands still. Looking towards a yellow butterfly fluttering by.

'Pink, where are you?' Canary silently asked.. looking off into the distance of her land. To where the Yellow Plains ended and Pink Prairie began.  
'You better be found soon.. else I don't know what I will do.'

* * *

Keys danced under Shy Violet's finger tips. The machine beneath her humming and thrumming. Each key press caused invisible electrical signals to fire off down through the circuitboards hidden away in the depths of the Color Console. Sending data firing through processors that she had lovingly crafted and designed. Activating programs and services that only she could fully comprehend.

The Color Console was her greatest creation. A physical link into the Spectrum, the universal energy field that was an essential foundation of the Universe. It was from the Spectrum that all color originated. The diamond planet Spectra giving focus and projection to this universal energy field, allowing it to correctly and evenly flow and resonate through the Universe.

Color came from the Spectrum, and so did the Color Kids. At least, that was the theory Shy Violet and the others had. But if they didn't come from the Spectrum they were at least connected to it, each of the Kids attuned to a different frequency of the Spectrum. For the Kids instinctively knew when the Spectrum was not resonating as it should. When all frequencies were not in harmony and it needed correction. And that was their calling.

Before the Color Console, the Kids had manipulated and corrected the Spectrum differently. Inefficiently, as Shy Violet had liked to think. They needed to approach their job in a more logical and scientific method. At least in Shy Violet's opinion.

And so, using the Color Belt as her inspiration and muse, she had built the Color Console; a direct conduit into the Spectrum. When the resonance of the Spectrum was not correct, or if all color frequencies of the Spectrum were not in harmony, with the Color Console they could easily correct it. By feeding the appropriate energy into the Spectrum to realign the frequencies. That's where the star sprinkles came in. If the green frequency of the Spectrum was too weak, they could make it stronger by using the Color Console to feed the energy of green star sprinkles into the Spectrum to realign it.  
If the Red frequency was too strong, they could feed in quantities of all other colored star sprinkles other than Red to align the frequencies correctly.  
It was all very scientific. And that, in Shy Violet's opinion, made it the correct approach.

Though when the Color Console was implemented there had been a few Kids that had preferred their old ways.

That was always the way with innovation. People prefer what they know, what they are comfortable with. So sure that the tried and true method must be the best, because they know it so well.  
But Shy Violet had eventually won over their support by demonstrating the Console.  
They didn't need to work on Instinct anymore. They now functioned on logic and learning.

Though she had never thought when the Console was built that just as they used it to correct the Spectrum someone else could use it to throw the Spectrum out of order and harmony.

The time of the King of Shadows was something she didn't want to remember anytime soon.

"Sunriser is able to speak?" Shy Violet remarked, pausing only to give Rainbow the quickest of glances with a light purple eyebrow arched in curiosity, brown eyes moving back to the crystal screen before her, "Interesting. Though fortunate, I guess. As we need answers."

Shy Violet opened her mouth to ask Rainbow about what she had learnt, but suddenly her full attention was on the screen in front of her as the Color Console began to receive sensory data from the Spectrum. Countless nights of pushing beyond exhaustion and weariness were about to pay off. Without the Color Console they had been blind, but now it was time to open their eyes.

She could see it.. in the wave lengths of the Spectrum that flowed over her clear crystal screen. See what each of the kids instinctively felt deep inside, the worrying panic feeling that would not go away despite all of Rainbow's words that Tickled Pink was somewhere in Rainbow Land. The Color Kids were connected to the Spectrum and felt when something was not right. It was in their blood. And sometimes all the words in the world, all the logic of learned men cannot change what instinct dictates.

There was a wound in the Spectrum, gaping and ominous. At one time the Pink frequency of the Spectrum had flowed and danced along where the wound was, but now there was nothingness. Almost as if the Pink frequency of the Spectrum had been ripped and torn out.

"This shouldn't be possible.. Yet it is. We've seen the evidence before us in Rainbow Land." Shy Violet worried, her hand reaching over to grab Rainbow's and pulling her in front of the screen, The purple Color Kid's free hand moving to point at the screen with a slender finger, "The Pink line of the Spectrum is gone. Seemingly torn away. It does not exist any more."

Shy Violet paused a moment, even though her heart was racing and she wanted to bombard Rainbow Brite with questions. The moment seemed like an eternity, but she wanted to make sure Rainbow Brite was able to see the evidence with her own eyes.

Violet explained, rather afraid, in case Rainbow did not fully understand, "The Color Kids are connected into the frequency of the Spectrum that our colors came from. If the Pink frequency is gone, that means that Tickled Pink is no longer connected to the Spectrum. That there is no longer any Kid for the pink frequency of the Spectrum to connect to and vice verse.

Rainbow Brite was silent for a while, her head lowered looking at the screen. Eternity stretching onward once again for Shy Violet. Then Rainbow Brite slumped, completely. Defeated. Her shoulders dropped, her knees buckled and Rainbow was suddenly sitting on the floor. Head down into her hands. "It's my fault Violet!" She said. Looking up at Violet with distressed eyes, "The color crystals. The ones that went missing from the caves four days ago. Do you remember? It was Murky! Sunriser told me what happened.. he built a machine that used those crystals to spray Tickled Pink with color energy. Sunriser said that when pink star sprinkles were touched by the energy waves from his machine, they disappeared in a burst of white light. When Tickled Pink was trapped in the waves of his machine.. she too disappeared. Fading away into whiteness."

Rainbow shook her head, bringing her palms to her eyes and said again, sounding angry and upset, "It's my fault. I should have realised something was happening when the crystals went missing. But I didn't do anything. And now.. look.. what have I done.."

And then everything clicked. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place and Shy Violet understood fully what had taken place, now that the cause had been identified. "He cancelled her out.." Shy Violet said, a little surprised that Murky was that smart to have thought up something like that. On reflection, it certainly seemed possible, using the other frequencies of the Spectrum in such a way as to cancel out a specific wave length. They did simular acts with the Color Console when one wavelength of the Spectrum was too powerful. When Red, for example, was not acting in harmony with the other colors.

It seemed possible, now that the idea was within her head, to have been able to do what Murky did. But she had never even contemplated it up until now. The reason it had never crossed her mind until now was probably because she was not a demented sociopath like Murky Dismal was.

So Tickled Pink was gone? Cancelled and faded away into the Spectrum. Shy Violet felt numb at the thought.

Though something gnawed at her. A random thought. Her eyes looking back up to the gaping wound within the Spectrum. "But.. she didn't rejoin the Spectrum.." Shy Violet verbalised suddenly, hands going back to Color Console's controls. "We can see it ourselves. The color pink doesn't exist in the Spectrum.. at all.. It's gone."

And that conflicted with the law of conservation of energy, thought the brilliant Shy Violet. That energy could not be created or destroyed, merely transformed. If the pink frequency of the Spectrum no longer existed, then what had it been transformed into?

Rainbow looked up at Shy Violet from where she had dropped to the floor. The expression on her face said it all. Was there hope? Please please tell her there was hope. Please.

"Give me an hour.." Shy Violet said, standing from the Consol and running to her room. Requiring the services of her massive tombs of Rainbow Land scientific journals. "And bring me some Color Crystals. One of every color. Tickled Pink certainly did not rejoin the Spectrum, and I want to know where she did go."

* * *

It was day. The sun was high above Rainbow Land. Which meant Moonglo was where she always was at times like this.

Asleep.

In a soft bed of black silk sheets with golden printed stars upon them the nocturnal Kid slept. Dreaming of and remembering events of long since past. Of a time when she was far happier.

"Come on sleepy head." Tickle Pink said while grinning, pulling on Moonglo's arm which she now had a secure hold on. "We're never going to get there at this rate." The sun was getting higher now, it would have to be roughly 10 am the Kid responsible for nocturnal color guessed. Well past her bedtime. Once again Moonglo wondered how Tickled Pink had talked her into this.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Moonglo's soft voice said in response, stifling a yawn. Being dragged ever onward by the energetic Pink. "Just remember that I should be asleep right now. I bet you wouldn't be so active if it was me dragging you off to destinations unknown when it was past your bedtime."

To this Tickled Pink's eyes widened in response, an excited skip falling into Pink's steps. "Oh, yes! You should. That would be so fun. You should take me, tonight, on your rounds. I've never been to Earth. Do you think Rainbow will let me? Oh, I bet we would make an excellent team. I could color the moon pink for you. For all night. Imagine how wonderful that would look. A permanent pink moon. Shining down on everyone."

Moonglo opened her mouth in a gasp of alarm at the thought. Her tired and lethargic brain suddenly bursting awake with distress. "Pink! That wouldn't be right or allowed. You know that.." and Moonglo frowned as she realised Tickled Pink was looking at her and giggling. Giggling at the response her words had produced from Moonglo. The nocturnal Kid realising she had all too easily fallen for one of Tickled Pink's jokes.

"See, /now/ you're awake." Tickled Pink laughed, tugging on her arm again. "Now you can hurry up."

"You are a bully, Ms. Pink!" Moonglo responded in good-natured banter, unable to help herself but smile in return to the heart warming grin on her friend's face. "Always dragging me around instead of letting me sleep." But truth be told Moonglo wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Yes I am." Tickled Pink confirmed, giggling at the thought "Bossy ol' Twink has nothing on me. When I say do something, all the other Kids do it. 'Scrub the floors' I say, and they do. 'Make my bed' I demand, and they do." and her giggles turned into laughter.

Her joke of bossing the other Kids around was funny on a few levels, mainly because in many ways Tickled Pink was the youngest Kid.  
Not in physical age mind you. As all the Kids were physically the same age. But more, Tickled Pink was the newest Color Kid to appear in Rainbow Land. Well after all the others had been established.  
This might also be why in some ways she seemed personality wise and emotionally the youngest when compared to the others also. The 'little sister' to the other Color Kids.

Though maybe it was just because she was always joking about and giggling and smiling that she gave the impression that she was younger than the others. Maybe 'young' wasn't the right word at all, Moonglo thought, instead 'carefree' was more accurate. Simply wanting nothing more than to ensure everyone was happy and laughing.

And so Moonglo smiled and laughed. Within her dream memory. Remembering her best friend.  
For now she would remember and when she awoke she would search again. As night fell her powers would return and she would sweep across the heavens looking for Tickled Pink, as she had done ever since she disappeared.

No matter what anyone said, no matter what their instincts told them. She would continue to search until the Pink Color Kid was found.


	8. Interlude 3

Chapter 8: Interlude 3

Pink wiggled her bare toes. Watching the small, squat little digits wiggle and seemingly happily wave at her in the dark as she did so. And yes, she was happy. Wasn't she? Her pigtails were happy, her feet were happy. She was happy.

She liked it here. Here it was safe and warm.  
Perhaps she had found her home and she didn't even know it?

"Indigo sounds very similar to Violet." Anthony commented softly, laying on the bed with her. At about 3 am, by which time they had reached Blue, he had laid his head down on the pillow of his bed. Tired. "Each quiet, almost shy people, if they aren't involved in something they love." He explained.

Pink could tell she was keeping him awake. And she felt perhaps she really should let him sleep. But so far he hadn't protested and said it was time to go. So she stayed, feeling tired also but enjoying their talk more.  
And that was the important thing, Pink felt deep inside her. That she was tired too.

It was okay to keep someone up past their bed time for a while, to drag them away from their dozing and dreams, so long as you returned the favour. If they were tired and making an effort to stay up to be with you past their bedtime, you should ensure you did the same for them also, to pay them back. That you stayed up past your bedtime to be with them every so often.

That's what a friendship was all about. Each giving, because the other one was so dear to them.

"Well, yes." Pink considered, the image of a rainbow forming in her head. She could see the colors, all aligned in a row. Of Indigo and Violet all the way at the end of the Spectrum, with her and Red and Canary Yellow right at the beginning.

"Boisterous.." Pink said aloud, thinking about this, "That was a word that had been used once to describe us, Red and Yellow and Pink. Think of the Spectrum like.. a line. An ordered line where all of us colors are marching along through the street, in a procession. We three, Red, Canary and myself are all the way out in front, shouting and squealing and laughing. Cart wheeling and running and tagging. Me twirling a baton as we march. While Violet and Indigo are over following at the end of the color spectrum. Smiling and talking softly with each other, watching us three as we lead the way. Us three extraverts all the way."

Anthony was silent for a little bit after this. Pink laying down on the bed, her head at the end where Anthony's feet resided since the other pillowed end was already occupied by Anthony's head.

Pink looked up at the ceiling, in the darkness, listening to the night time sounds that surrounded the room. It was difficult to make out the ceiling, as the darkness covered it completely. But she knew it was there. Even though she couldn't see it. Once again she had stepped into Anthony's world, hadn't she?

"Pink.." Anthony said eventually, sleepily, his voice carrying gently from the other end of the bed. A place so close, yet a world away.

"Yes?" Pink responded, wiggling her toes again as she looked up at the ceiling still. Gazing at the starless night in this place of lost things.

"What are the three colors again that lead the spectrum again?" he asked softly, sounding as though sleep was leading him away.

"Red, Yellow and Pink of course." Pink said, from back at the other end of the bed. Closing her eyes also. Wanting to remember the moon.

"Yes, that's what I thought you said."


	9. Falling

_(Author's note: Originally Chapter 7 and 9 were one entire chapter. But I felt it would have been a bit too long and overwhelming. So they became broken up as such. Just a note in case it seems both are a bit shorter than expectes. Or if I'm currently suddenly updating faster than normal. ;) Also I goofed and described Violet's hair as 'brown' in 7. That has been fixed. And lastly. Have an illustration for Chapter 1. Was going to do an illustration for each chapter, but I found I can't imbed images on fanfiction. So oh well. Here it is for anyone interested. _

_http://s412. photobucket. com/albums/pp208/DeeCee333/pink. jpg __)_

* * *

Chapter 9: Falling

Shy Violet's room was spotless. Even after spending the last four days with barely any sleep, of racing around for components and tools, her room was organised and ordered Rainbow found.

Rainbow Brite had noticed Violet had always worked like that. Ensuring a tool was put in its proper place after use or that a book that had been read was refiled to where it belonged once done with. Shy Violet had explained to Rainbow one day when she had remarked upon Violet's neatness that even though you may be in a rush, a few seconds to return a tool to where it belongs was always proper working practice. For if you got into the habit of not doing so sooner or later you would end up having put something down and then would not be able to locate it. Which would result in you spending far more time searching for it than it would have taken to place it back where it belonged originally.

She Violet was always like that. Forward thinking and planning.

Rainbow Brite watched anxiously as the Color Kid of purple sat at her old, hardwood work bench, tapping her finger quickly against her forehead in deep but rapid thought. Before Shy Violet on the table surface lay an unrefined Color Crystal of each color, even one of the new white ones that had appeared when pink had left Rainbow Land. She said, a frown of concentration painted over her fair features, "What we need is.. a projector. An apparatus that can project color. I'm going to have to construct a device it looks like. Some type of light beam emitter. In which I can use to try to stream color crystal energy."

Shy Violet was starting to get lost in her thoughts as she spoke out loud, Rainbow Brite could see that, the world before her fading away to Violet as she disappeared into the depths of her mind and into a world of numbers, equations and logic.

As always, at times like this, it took just a friendly gesture or nudge to redirect her gifted mind back to the here and now. To help her focus on something she may be too distracted to notice. And so Rainbow cleared her throat, loudly until she caught Shy Violet's attention. Rainbow Brite tapping her finger on the buckle of her Color Belt. Smiling ever so slightly, ever so hopefully.

"The Color Belt!" Shy Violet exclaimed excitably, pivoting her chair around so that she was sitting, facing Rainbow. Spectacle framed eyes focused on the red satin belt around Rainbow Brite's waist. "That would be perfect. Except.."

"Except it doesn't work." Rainbow finished with a nod. Shy Violet was the first person she had gone to when she had found her belt no longer functioned and was the only person apart from Starlite, Twink and herself that knew about her problem with rainbows. They had decided to keep it secret from the other Kids, for the moment. As the Kids were already so worried and upset what with the disappearance of pink and Pink that Rainbow couldn't bare to add another worry to their hearts, "How long do you need to stream color for? The longest I've been able to get the belt to work for is about 5 seconds. Will that be long enough for you to run your tests?"

"It will have to be." Shy Violet said confidently. Her confidence was inspiring.

"Good." replied Rainbow Brite and she gave Shy Violet a deeply grateful smile, "You've already worked so hard with the Color Console, and I am so thankful for all the sacrifices you've made. You have no idea, Violet. I would have been lost without you. But what with the Console and us chasing Sunriser for the last few days.. any time we can save now will be a blessing. It's really important that we determine where Tickled Pink has gone."

Shy Violet smiled bashfully at the praise, a violet hued blush spreading over her cheeks. The spectacled Color Kid waved off Rainbow's words, never one to expect applause for what she did and replied, retuning to her 'all business' tone whilst tapping her finger again in thought, this time against her chin, "I'll will still have to construct a color lens though. Something to filter the output according to the frequency we wish."

"Like Krys' prism bracelet?" Rainbow offered helpfully. For the first time wondering exactly what was happening on Spectra right about now. With the Color Console inoperative the thought hadn't even crossed her mind that Spectra might be experiencing simular issues as Rainbow Land was what with the loss of the color pink. As without the Color Console there was no other way to send a message all the way to Spetra.

But the loss of Tickled Pink seemed to have damaged the Spectrum. And Spectra was connected to the Spectrum, the same way the Color Console was.

Though they hadn't had a visit from Krys and Oynx in the three days since the shockwave in the Color Spectrum. Rainbow wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad sign.

"Yes." Shy Violet confirmed. "Though instead of using store and forward technology like Krys' blaster, I'll want to implement pass-through technology. To project all colors except the one I wish to attempt to cancel out. Mine."

Rainbow's hand went to her mouth, to cover and attempt to stifle the first reaction she had to Shy Violet saying that. These words worried Rainbow Brite greatly. The last thing she needed was to lose anyone else, and Shy Violet of all Kids. Without her expertise right now Rainbow would be lost. "Shy Violet.." she begun, putting her hand on her friend and advisor's arm, "Cancelling purple? Is that.. wise?"

"Cancelling /violet/." Shy Violet corrected calmly. "Violet is a spectral wavelength, purple is not. It is a color. There's a difference." She looked at Rainbow and offered a reassuring smile, her tone shifting from 'all business' to one that conveyed the friendship and warmth the two girls had for each other, "Don't worry, Rainbow. I'm not going to test it on myself. That would indeed be poor scientific method. Instead, I was thinking of this." and Rainbow watched as Shy Violet pivoted back over to her work bench and delved into one of its wooden draws.

It took Shy Violet only moments to find the tool she was after, Rainbow putting this fact down once again to her impeccable filing and cleanliness. Shy Violet's had emerged, grasping carefully in her right hand a small, silver pair of scissors. Confidently Shy Violet raised the metal blades of the scissors up to one of her stray violet locks that unkemptly hung over her forehead, that she had not yet had a chance to replace in the bun at the top of her head. Grasping the lock of hair in her other hand, with a delicate snip Shy Violet clipped the cluster of hair away from her head and placed the scissors on the table.

Tying the now orphaned lock into a knot in its middle, to ensure all strands of the lock stayed together Rainbow assumed, Shy Violet said to Rainbow with a satisfied nod, holding it up, "May I present to you our test article."

* * *

Moonglo slept onwards. The sun stretching further through the skies of Rainbow Land as she did so. The nocturnal Kid dreaming of the night.

In her dreams the stars shone. They sparkled and glimmered with hope. The high crescent moon illuminating the land below it in cool, golden light. And Moonglo remembered.

Nite Sprite was at her side as she flew through the heavens on her nightly rounds. Invisible to all those below. It was as she passed over Green Grange, the light of the crescent moon following in her wake, that Moonglo first spotted something amiss. On top of the highest, greenest hill of Green Grange there lay a clean, red and white woollen blanket. Completely out of place amongst the night time greenery.

Her curiosity peaked, Moonglo slowed her flight, whispering to Nite Sprite as she did so, "That should not be. A blanket out amongst the Grange? We should investigate, lest someone has lost their way and has had to sleep away from their bed."

Nite Sprite chattered back worriedly in Sprite Talk, concerned that any delays might disrupt their schedule.

"But Nite, if we do not assist the lost individual, then who will?" Moonglo coaxed. "It has only just turned midnight. Come on, we have plenty of night left."

Moonglo was an artistic dreamer, Nite Sprite was forever a time and schedule worrier. Together they complimented each other, Nite Sprite ensuring Moonglo never became too engrossed in her work so that she wasted the whole night away on coloring a single star formation. And Moonglo ensuring that Nite Sprite stopped to smell the roses occasionally. Enjoyed himself rather than worrying about their schedule.

And so the duo descended down to the blanket, the crescent moon's light settling over them and the region below. As soon as their feet touched the grassy ground they became visible. Kid and Sprite looking over the blanket, searching to see if there was indeed some poor lost Kid or Sprite being forced to sleep out in the open.

"Well, it appears the blanket is just that, a blanket." Moonglo concluded to Nite Sprite after a few moments inspection and seeing no one wrapped up amongst its fabric. "We should perhaps fold it up and take it with us, back to Color Castle. It will only get ruined out here."

"Oh don't take it yet." A voice came at Moonglo, originating from one of the many small bushes that lay scattered over the hill. The branches of the shrub then began to creak and shake as two individuals crawled out from within. Two individuals very much colored pink.

"At least until we four have had our picnic." Tickled Pink grinned, Deelite giggling after and dragging a large wicker basket out of the bush once Pink had fully emerged.

"Pink! It's midnight. You should be asleep!" Moonglo exclaimed. Having not expected this at all. No one was ever awake at this hour, except herself and Nite Sprite.

"But if I was.." Tickled Pink said happily, moving to help Deelite carry the basket to the centre of the blanket, "You and Nite wouldn't be able to take a well earned break. It's your lunch time, isn't it? Tell me, when was the last time you had a picnic.."

To be honest, Moonglo couldn't remember. Which might have saddened her a little, reminding her how often she was alone. But not here and now. Cause right now, nothing could be further from the truth.

So she found herself moving to the picnic blanket and wrapping her arms around Tickled Pink in a hug.

Tickled Pink laughed happily at the gesture, and whispered mischievously into Moonglo's ear whilst they hugged, "I brought Deelite for backup. So that Nite couldn't complain too much about your schedule being interrupted."

And sure enough, Nite Sprite had moved to help the pink Sprite unpack the basket without a word of complaint or worry. Quiet and bashfully speechless in the face of the female Sprite as the duo started laying out plates.

Moonglo laughed. It was becoming such a wonderful night.

At least it was until she woke up. The dream memory of times past fading as reality slowly settled back in.

* * *

With fifteen minutes having now past, Shy Violet had finished her setup with Rainbow Brite's assistance. They had cleared her work bench and pulled it into the centre of the room, placing Rainbow Brite's color belt on the far end of the bench.

Rainbow stood at the far end with the belt. Holding it steady and aligned vertically with the table top.

Further down the table and leaning across it, Shy Violet held the white Color Crystal that Rainbow Brite had brought with up with the others. Counting out spacing as she moved the color crystal along the wooden table.

"Let's see. When you project your rainbow along the table top, first there will be red at a wavelength of 625 to 740 nanometres.. then the absentee gap of pink." She said, moving the crystal onward along the table, from left to right as she counted, "Next will be orange at 585 to 620 nanometres. Hmm. Yellow, green, blue and indigo will follow till finally we'll have my personal favourite, Violet at 380 to 450 nanometres." Upon mentioning the frequency of violet, Shy Violet ceased moving the white color crystal along the table and sat it upon that spot on the table. It now being to the very right hand side of the workbench, where spectral violet was meant to manifest.

Forever the careful scientist, Shy Violet walked back over to Rainbow Brite's end of the workbench, looked over her shoulder and judged her belt's alignment with the tabletop and the newly placed white color crystal. Nodding with a satisfied murmur, Shy Violet walked to the opposite table end and placed her lock of cut hair on the wooden bench face.

"It all appears to be satisfactorily aligned. Configured so that the white color crystal should block the violet wavelength of your belt's rainbow. Resulting in, theoretically mind you as I do not have access to Murky's original equipment, a simular event that would have occurred at Pink Prairie."

Taking three big strides back, appearing to take extra effort to ensure she wasn't anywhere near the table or the lock of hair, Shy Violet offered, "If you will Rainbow. Please activate your belt."

At this the guardian of Rainbow Land held her breath and pressed down on the star ended buckle of her belt, the star flashing white momentarily and the Color Belt then suddenly jolting, issuing forth a rainbow of color.

Rainbow Brite was unique from all the other Kids in Rainbow Land. Firstly, because she was never a Kid originally. A kid yes, but not a Kid.. one of the natural inhabitants of Rainbow Land who were charged with ensuring there was proper balance of all colors.

It was the Sphere of Light that had made Rainbow Brite the same as the Kids of Rainbow Land. Ensuring both that she would never age and, importantly, that she was bound to the Spectrum too.

But Rainbow Brite's role in Rainbow Land was different to the Color Kids. While the Color Kids only concentrated on matters that were influenced by the frequency of the Spectrum they resided over, Rainbow Brite wielded all colors of the Spectrum. The Kids ensured the Spectrum was in balance and alignment universally, that the energy of the Spectrum flowed evenly across the Universe. But even still, there were always some areas that the Spectrum flowed across unevenly. Minor disturbances throughout the Universe altering the Spectrum's correct resonance in small, local patches.

Where such a skewed patch appeared, the colors in that part of the world became misaligned and incorrectly distributed. And it was the job of Rainbow Brite to not only guard Rainbow Land and its Kids, but to manually fix these areas where color was not correctly distributed. Through use of her Color Belt and her ability to use and manipulate all colors of the Spectrum through it.

The rainbow that sprung fourth from Rainbow Brite's belt was an amazing thing to behold. Not just because it enabled Rainbow Brite to Color any item she needed to correct, but also because, simply put, colors were deeply important to people. They provoked a emotional response in individuals. A single color could change the world. From the early Hunter Gatherer humans who used color to determine if food was ripe, or to avoid dangerously colored food that was poisonous. To current times being able to see, at a glance, if someone was well or not by their face. By what shades of color it was splashed with. The color and item is shaded can mean the world.

Colors were deeply important to people. They provoked an emotional response, so ingrained into their life they were. And so too did seeing all colors of the Spectrum provoke an emotional response in people. Taking in the sight of one of Rainbow Brite's rainbows lifted the spirits of those who looked upon one. Her rainbow was a wondrous thing to behold.

At least normally.. but now, with the Spectrum damaged, her rainbows were a pale, faint imitation of what they once were. The wobbling, faded beam of colored light that she projected across the table top being no exception to this new, sad rule.

It burst from her belt, trembling across the workbench, meeting with the lock of hair on the other end of the table. Only the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and indigo made it to the table end. The violet line of the faint rainbow impacted against the white Color Crystal that Shy Violet had left in its path, the Color Crystal humming and glowing violet as it did so, but not allowing that frequency of the rainbow's spectrum to continue any further.

As the rainbow met the lock of hair, there was a flash of white light from the knot of hair before the counter top projection of light and energy shook violently and disappeared altogether. The rainbow having managed to last just three seconds.

"Sorry Shy Violet." Rainbow offered. It was sad to see her rainbow in such a state. Almost where she dreaded activating her belt anymore. "That was one of the more shorter ones. I can try again if you like, if you give my belt a few minutes to recharge itself."

But Shy Violet wasn't listening, she was already quickly walking over to the lock of hair. "Interesting. Did you notice what occurred at the conjunction? Fascinating. It appeared as though the violet frequency energy from my hair, and the frequencies from your rainbow, were enough to create a closed circuit if you will. The resulting energy merging back into white light."

A purple microscope had found its way into Shy Violet's hands, from one of the shelves in her room, which she placed on the bench and set the lock of hair under the microscope's lens.

To Rainbow Brite the hair didn't look any different to how it had been before being hit by the rainbow, but Shy Violet didn't say a word for quite a while as she studied it. The only sounds being the occasional 'hmm' of her audibly thinking.

Eventually Shy Violet looked up at Rainbow, "The follicles certainly appear to be altered.. their exposure to the closed energy circuit of the rainbow appears to have.. stripped away that color energy they possessed. Resulting in, well, whatever connection they had to the Spectrum has been removed."

"Violet.." Rainbow said, bringing her hands to massage her temples tiredly, "I didn't understand a word of that. Please.. can you give me the simple version."

"Ah yes sorry. Well, I'll put it simply. Please bear in mind that this is only one test and my theory could be wrong. But it appears that a Color Kid, with no Color, is just a Kid. The two appear to be separable, the Kid being able to exist without the Color part of the equation. As the test sample of hair I examined does appear changed.. in a.."

A feminine voice interjected from the door of Shy Violet's room.

"So you're saying, Tickled Pink is okay?"

Rainbow Brite quickly turned her head about in surprise to the direction of the voice. Someone had been ears dropping on her and Violet? That was, well, quite out of character for any of the Kids. Rainbow thought she would have to have a word with the Kid responsible.

That was until Rainbow saw who it was, standing at the door.

It was Moonglo.  
Dressed in pyjamas of black, blue and purple. Looking anything but tired, staring at Shy Violet intently.

"Moonglo.." Rainbow began. Rainbow Brite's tone was soft and supportive. As she knew how difficult things were for Moonglo right now. "You should be resting. Shy Violet and myself are still looking into the matter."

"But I just heard you say.." Moonglo said defiantly. Looking at Shy Violet instead of Rainbow. Not about to be dissuaded from what she had heard.

Shy Violet at first seemed reluctant to commit an answer beginning with, "Well.. please remember this is just one test.. for an accurate analysis I really should.." she paused, looking at Rainbow for an indication of how she should proceed.

Rainbow Brite sighed and gave a nod to Shy Violet. Giving her permission to speak openly. It may be just one test, but hope was still hope. And wasn't that what Rainbow had been doing for the past few days? Trying to give the Color Kids hope despite how the situation looked. And now they had their very first piece of evidence that supported that hope. Like a single star shining in the black night sky.

Shy Violet, at Rainbow's confirming gesture, turned back to Moonglo and summerised, "Yes. I do believe she is, well, alive and intact. Whether she is okay, I do not know. As from everything we've seen it appears she would no longer be connected to the Spectrum. Murky's attack would have disconnected her from the Spectrum and thus from Rainbow Land."

She Violet glanced at the hair sample in her microscope for some time, before eventually looking back towards the two other girls, Moonglo having walked fully into Shy Violet's room and sat down upon the edge of Violet's bed.

Shy Violet looked at the two and paused, seeming to be determining how to best phrase what she wanted to say next. After a few moments the Violet Color Kid said, "Continuing a simple explanation.. as desired. Imagine it like this. You've heard legends of angelic beings falling from the heavens? Picture that. With no anchor to the Spectrum or to Rainbow Land, Tickled Pink would have fallen from here.. to where I don't know."

"But she's alive." Moonglo repeated, smiling, moving from the bed to hug Shy Violet and Rainbow. "She's alive, Violet and Rainbow. I knew it. That's what's important."

There was a pause and Moonglo asked, looking at the two carefully, asking the all important question, "So how do we find out where Tickled Pink did go?"

* * *

First there was three.

Rainbow Brite, Shy Violet and Moonglo.

They walked out of Color Castle and set off towards Pink Prairie. Rainbow taking this journey on foot, just as the others had to. Not calling for Starlite. Instead letting him take care of matters in the mountains of Rainbow Land, hopefully take care of Sunriser.

But first there were three. Walking together, silently and determinedly.  
Then there were four.  
As they crossed through the Red Region, Red Butler could not help but notice the three girls marching off resolutely and fell into step behind them.

He didn't speak a word to them, perhaps afraid they would tell him he wasn't welcome wherever they were going. But he could tell something was up. By their faces, by their resolute movements, by their silence. Each alone with their thoughts.  
So Red Butler fell into step. And then there were four.

Four became five. Lala Orange was the next to join them. As they passed her by on the trek to Pink Prairie Red Butler silently gestured to her to follow. Always looking out for her.

And then there were five. Five became six, and six became seven. Buddy Blue and Patty O'Green hearing from Champ and Lucky that something was up, Rainbow Brite was leading some of the Kids off into Rainbow Land, so the two headed off to join the precession.

Canary Yellow was the last to join the line. Having been sitting in the boughs of a lemon tree in the Yellow Plains. She spotting the spectrum of marching Kids heading to Pink Prairie and Canary ran to join them.

The Kids moved into Pink Prairie, passing through the onetime pink, but now red, rose garden that welcomed any person entering the Prairie. Rainbow Brite led the band of Color Kids towards the spot in which Tickled Pink was last seen in Rainbow Land. The very spot she and Starlite had rescued Sunriser.

And there, sitting amongst the red roses of the region, upon the wrecked and beaten metal cage that once held Sunriser, was Indigo. Writing in a small journal, sadly wiping her eyes as she did so.

And then they eight were complete.

Almost.

One of their number was still missing. And that was what they had come to Pink Prairie to rectify.

Rainbow Brite turned to look at them all, her Kids she was sworn to protect, and spoke, "Tickled Pink is alive."

And she told them all of what she and Shy Violet had so far discovered today. Of Murkey's machine, Tickled Pink's cancellation, and her resulting falling from the Spectrum and Rainbow Land. The only question that was unanswered was where to.

"And so Shy Violet was able to reproduce Murkey's machine? And test it on her hair?" Red Butler clarified, frowning angrily at this revelation, of Murkey's involvement and what it meant for Tickled Pink. His cheeks tinted with an angry red glow.

"If she can reproduce the effect, then do it again. But this time on me. I'll go." Red Butler said instantly, stepping forward, his hands clenched into fists. Ready to fight whatever battle lay ahead. Or perhaps fight to be the one to take this journey for Tickled Pink. To be the one to rescue her. "Send me to where she is, and I'll find her and bring her home."

"I want to go too." It was Buddy Blue now speaking up. He was walking over to Red Butler's side. The two boys looking each other in the eye, seeming to determine that neither one would back down if they began to argue over who should go, eventually nodding in a silent agreement and standing there together. Both intent on going.

"If Buddy is going, I'm going." Patty O'Green chimed in. Crossing her arms across her chest. Her green eyes scanning the faces of the other Kids. Daring anyone to tell her she couldn't.

It was Rainbow Brite who was the one who spoke up against her, "I can't let you.." She then looked at the other Color Kids and added, "Any of you.. When Tickled Pink disappeared, the Spectrum was damaged." She looked towards Shy Violet for verbal confirmation, but presently Violet was shyly looking at the ground, intent on softly pushing a stone along with the tip of her boot. Uncomfortable in this tense environment when an argument amongst the Kids might break out. Or maybe she knew what was coming. So Rainbow continued on her own,

"The Spectrum is still repairing itself. I don't know what would happen if any other Color Kids had themselves removed from the Spectrum. But I'm pretty sure it would not be good at all. Especially as the Spectrum is still recovering. We can't afford to lose any other colors."

"But how will we find Tickled Pink then?" Red Butler poked. "You and Shy Violet don't know where she is. It's the only way. And one of us has to. It has to be a Color Kid. It's not like you can be cancelled and fall, Rainbow, like Tickled Pink did. I'll go, on my own. Red is the closet in the Spectrum to Pink. So it must have the best chance of working if it is me."

"No Red. I'm not letting you. I mean it. I don't know what will happen and I'm not going to risk it." Rainbow Brite's voice was stern. It wasn't often that the leader of the Color Kids disagreed with the guardian of Rainbow Land. As of yet there had never been a time where Red Butler had pushed an issue and tried to challenge Rainbow Brite's authority.

But there could always be a first time.

There was a murmur of dissent amongst the Kids at this order. Each of them frowning as it sounded like Rainbow was giving up on Tickled Pink when an option to find her was already present. So Rainbow Brite continued on, quickly clarifying, "I've been thinking about this since before we left Color Castle. I'll be the one who is going."

"How can you? You're not a Color Kid." Patty O'Green exclaimed, looking towards Buddy to see if there was something she was missing. But Buddy shrugged in return to her green eyed stare.

Rainbow closed her eyes and took a breath. She didn't think the Kids were going to like her plan, but really, they didn't have any other alternatives right about now. Things might be different if the Color Belt still functioned. She could leave Rainbow Land on Starlite and search to where Tickled Pink might have fallen to. But they could spend years searching for Tickled Pink, and she couldn't let another day go by with one of her Kids lost and alone. "I'm connected to Rainbow Land, as you all are. When Lady Brite imparted her powers to me she made it so. So that I would never age as you all do. So that I would be in essence a Kid."

Rainbow Brite glanced at Shy Violet, whose head was still down turned. Paying even closer attention to the pebble by her foot. Yes, Shy Violet knew full well what Rainbow Brite was about to say. Rainbow could tell. She was always mentally three steps ahead of everyone. And the fact she wasn't attempting to talk Rainbow out of this plan must mean it was the right course of action. "When the Sphere of Light was imparted on me, it connected me to Rainbow Land and all of you. Therefore if I give it up, I should lose my connection. And without that I should fall, as Tickled Pink did."

There were gasps. All the Color Kids, except for Shy Violet, were suddenly talking at once. A jumble of panicked voices all saying things like there has to be another way. Let a Color Kid go. Rainbow closed her eyes after a moment and raised her hands to silence them.

"We need to find Tickled Pink.. and it's the only way I can think of. I know it sounds scary, me leaving, but.." She looked at the worried faces of Moonglo and the Color Kids, "I would do the same for any of you. If any of you were lost or hurt, I would find you and protect you. That's what I'm here for." Rainbow Brite smiled at them, feeling very much the love for them that a mother feels for her children. The love and desire to protect, "It has to be me. That's why I'm here."

The other Kids looked at each other, but there wasn't anything they could say. Losing Tickled Pink was bad enough, now to have Rainbow leave them was absolutely frightening. But if she didn't go.. Tickled Pink might never be found. Without Tickled Pink they were incomplete.

It was Shy Violet who was the first to speak up, finally breaking her silence, "It's actually rather important that you go, Rainbow." She took a breath and said, her voice small, "From what I've been able to see when I looked at the Spectrum earlier, it was indeed damaged when Tickled Pink was removed from it. But.. it is healing itself as you said. Which is both good and bad. Eventually the Spectrum will righten itself.. which is good. As the color belt will begin to function again. But.. It will heal itself without the Pink frequency within it. Once that occurs, even if Tickled Pink is found she won't be able to rejoin the Spectrum or Rainbow Land. At least.. that's my working theory."

"Is that even possible?" Rainbow asked in alarm. "For the Spectrum to function without Pink?" There were 8 Color Kids. That's the way things were. How could things work any other way?

"Err.. yes. There was a time before Tickled Pink joined us in Rainbow Land. This was long before you came, Rainbow. But once there was just us, us 7. It could certainly go back to being like that. Theoretically speaking of course." Shy Violet replied softly, lowering her head again. Focused on the pebble instead of her emotions. "I'm sorry for not saying anything earlier. I wanted to run some more tests before I worried anyone unnecessarily. But it appears you will be going no matter what I say."

"How long do we have?" Rainbow asked. More determined than ever. Regretting every wasted day more than ever.

"I.. don't know. I just don't. I'll have to study the Spectrum some more. Run some tests.. I just need some time." Shy Violet fretted.

Rainbow was about to prod Shy Violet for a guess, but by the tired and worried look on the Color Kid's face Rainbow Brite backed off and left it at that. Shy Violet had been pushed and pushed so much recently, to provide answers that no one else could. With limited time and limited data and limited opportunity to come up with those answers. Sometimes you could only push someone so hard.

And an uneasy silence descended.

"Go.." said one of the Kids eventually. It was Red Butler. He looked to the other Color Kids, their unofficial leader, making sure there was no disagreements. Seeing none, Red Butler turned to lookeback at Rainbow Brite and echoed, "Go, Rainbow. Find Tickled Pink. And bring her back to us."

Rainbow gave Red Butler a thankful look. She knew it was hard for her Kids, it was hard for her also. But it was worse to imagine a Rainbow Land without Tickled Pink in it.

The guardian of Rainbow Land's hands went behind her, to the arch of her back, and teasing apart three metal clasps, she undid the Color Belt.

"Moonglo.." she said, stepping towards the only other Kid present that wasn't a Color Kid. "I'm going to need you to keep this for me, until I return." and held the Color Belt towards her. Offering, asking.

"Rainbow!" Moonglo said, taking a step back "Not the Color Belt.. I cannot. It is yours."

"No, you can." Rainbow coaxed, "In fact, only you can take it. Should take it. None of the Color Kids are able to wear the Color Belt, it must be worn by someone who is able to direct all colors of the Spectrum at once, equally. The only other person in Rainbow Land apart from you who could hold it for me is Stormy. But she is occupied with making preparations for winter. Fall has already begun on Earth under her influence. Please Moonglo. It is just until I return. I need the belt safe, where it belongs, ihere n Rainbow Land. As I don't know where I shall end up."

And that was the reason indeed. Rainbow didn't know where she would end up, or if she would return. At least by leaving the belt in Rainbow Land, if she and Tickled Pink did not return the Belt could be used by the next guardian of Rainbow Land. Eventually.. once the Spectrum healed itself.

"Please." Rainbow asked again. "So that I can find Tickled Pink. For her sake."

Moonglo didn't seem like she wanted to take the Belt, but she did anyway. For Tickled Pink. Awkwardly holding the belt as if she couldn't contemplate putting it on.

Rainbow Brite had been thinking about this ever since she left Color Castle. Well, actually, well before then. Ever since her dream of the Color Belt not working, of Tickled Pink being lost to her along with the Sphere of Light.

Lady Brite had imparted her powers on Rainbow, back when she had been able to defeat the King of Shadows. So long ago, when Rainbow had first come to Rainbow Land.

If it was within Lady Brite's powers to give up her powers, then so too it should be for Rainbow Brite. As she now possessed the same powers Lady Brite once did.

Rainbow Brite had been thinking about this ever since she left Color Castle. And she was pretty sure she had worked out how to do this; give up her powers and leave Rainbow Land.

They had already lost so much time, chasing Sunriser and repairing the Color Console. So there was no time left to spare, as Tickled Pink needed to be found before the Spectrum healed without her connected to it.

So there was no more time left for hesitation.

She stepped away from the other Kids, to approximately the same place she guessed Tickled Pink had been when she originally disappeared, and looked one last time upon the worried and fearful faces of the Kids of Rainbow Land.

"I'll be back.." Rainbow Brite said, "I swear I'll be back."

And Rainbow Brite concentrated.. for the first time since she had come to Rainbow Land willing the Sphere of Light to leave her. Willing it with all the desperation and wanting that she felt inside her for her missing Kid.

Rainbow Brite concentrated, the desperation to leave so she could find Tickled Pink welling up inside her, and then it happened. Her wish was granted. With desperation fueled desire, something inside her broke away. And the world around her began to shift and change. Growing lighter.. faded even.

Closing her eyes briefly she gave herself up to the feeling. And she could feel the power of light starting to leave her. No longer being wanted. Her cheek burnt, right where the star shaped symbol of the Sphere of Light's guardianship resided. Feeling as though someone had placed a red hot star shaped branding iron against her cheek. But Rainbow willed the power to leave her still.

Opening her eyes again, Rainbow Brite began to notice she couldn't see the Kids anymore. The Kids, or Rainbow Land. Everything around her was just pure bright light. All sight of Rainbow Land had disappeared, and soon the sensations of Rainbow Land around her started to fade and disappear too. Sounds dying into nothingness. A dearly loved dream coming to an end.

But then from the whiteness came a pair of hands, grabbing at her. Holding her. Trying to perhaps stop her fall. But it was too late. She was past the point of no return and could not be pulled back. The power was erupting from her now. She was a brilliant white star going nova and there was only one direction to go and that was onwards. Dragging the other person with her.

And so Rainbow Brite felt the ground of Rainbow Land disappear beneath her feet, felt herself falling ever downward, through bright white nothingness, clinging to the person holding her as the other person clung back. Each falling through the whiteness.

Rainbow Brite not knowing where she would end up, just that it would be where she needed to be. And that was wherever Tickled Pink was.


	10. Interlude 4

Chapter 10: Interlude 4

Rainbow Land had been a buzz with talk of Rainbow Brite leading a precession of Color Kids to Pink Prairie.

With the recent occurrence of the color pink leaving Rainbow Land, and the Color Kid of pink being missing, speculation was ripe amongst the Sprites, the native inhabitants of Rainbow Land.

The head Sprites weren't discussing these matters in depth with the other Sprites. Even though the head Sprites' close relationships with the Color Kids meant they may hear or see information that wasn't readily available to the general population of Rainbow Land.

As, the Head Sprites kept conveying to those who asked, when there was something that was known or needed to be known the Color Kids or Twink would announce it. Until then they weren't going to break the trust of their Kids and talk out of turn.

So, speculation was ripe amongst the Sprites. Every eye was on the activities of those in Color Castle.

So Rainbow Brite, Shy Violet and Moonglo's departure from the Castle had set forth a tidal wave of rumor and chatter throughout Rainbow Land. Growing bigger and bigger as Sprites from different parts of the Land saw more and more Color Kids join Rainbow Brite's walk, the spectrum of Kids all heading to Pink Prairie.

Talk and excited chatter went all across Rainbow Land. Soon everyone in Rainbow Land knew something was up.

_Everyone._

From his dark and shadow filled hole in the Pits, Murky Dismal was soon too all but aware something was happening. And had all too easily spotted the precession making their way towards the putrid Pink Prairie, thanks to a high powered telescope he had ingeniously constructed. One that he always made sure to put a color filter over the lens before he looked through it to spy on the happenings in Rainbow Land. So that he could see the world in the wonderful black and grays it should rightfully exist in.

The brats were on foot, he had a car. Even a moronic simpleton such as Lurky could determine this meant he could easily beat them to where ever they were going. And, because the fools were making a straight line towards their destination, Murky knew exactly where they were going.

And so he hid. Well.. no, not hid. He was the great Murky Dismal, he did not need to hide.

No, he _concealed_ himself away within in the Putrid Prairie. Arriving long before the brats ever got there. And thanks to another one of his ingenious inventions, one he had dubbed a Listen-o-phone, he sat and waited. Listen-o-phone to his ear, amplifying any sounds that came from the direction he pointed it towards. And the direction he pointed it towards was the area of his most recent victory. Where he had wiped out all trace of that Pink little monster.

He still smiled at the memory of that day. It had been wonderful. Glorious even. And the best thing was, after he had snubbed out that Pink girl, he hadn't seen anything colored pink at all through all of Rainbow Land.

Murky felt disgusted out here, out in the open of this colorful land. He could almost feel the wretched colors crawling over his skin as the light fell upon him. It was sickening. But the memory of his victory gave him fortitude.

Soon he would have to pick the next Kid to go after. But first, he was curious to see what Rainbow Brite was up to. Maybe they were coming to mourn? Maybe, even better, she was going to cry.

So he sat. And waited. And eventually when the Kids came he listened. He heard everything.

Once the inevitable commotion had died away and silence returned to the Prairie as the Kids left, one by one, Murky reflected.

So.. he hadn't destroyed Tickled Pink at all. Instead, she had been disconnected from the Color Spectrum and thrown out of Rainbow Land.

Soon there would not be any color pink left in Rainbow Land as a result and now the guardian of Rainbow Land had left to find the missing brat. Giving away the Color Belt.

Murky reflected.. so things hadn't worked out as he had hoped.

They had turned out even better.

And he started to laugh. Darkly and maliciously. Knowing that he had to take advantage of this new opportunity.


End file.
